Worlds Apart Part II
by Miss Lydia
Summary: Ganondorf has free reign of Hyrule and is slowly destroying the land. To his surprise, seven years after he gained power, his sworn enemies reappear and strike back! Link and the sorcerers set out to save Hyrule! (Read Worlds Apart - Part I first!!)
1. Chapter 1

**_Worlds Apart  
Part II  
By Miss Lydia_****  
  
****Chapter 1**

Seven Years Later....

"Is dinner ready yet, Momma?"

"No, not quite yet."

"Hmph. I wish I had some kind of spell that would just conjure up a steaming plate of food for me."

"Why don't you create one?"

"Easier said than done."

"Why don't you just go hang around upstairs until dinner's ready?"

"Alright then."

"Call your brother while you're up there."

The mother of the house turned back to the steaming stove while the girl with long brown hair pranced up the stairs. She greeted her father on the way up and made her way to her big bedroom in the back. 

"Hey, Gordon!" she called. "You up here anywhere?"

"In my room!" a voice answered back from across the hall. "What's up?"

"Dinner's almost ready."

"Okay. Say Lydia, wanna play this videogame with me?"

"Yeah, sure. Go easy on me."

"Yeah, right. You know I'll cream you."

Sadly, Lydia knew it was the truth as she sat down to play. The fact that she wasn't really concentrating didn't help her win any. She kept thinking about what happened so long ago, as she often did.

"Yeah! I won again!" Gordon shouted victoriously. 

"Hmm," Lydia replied.

"What's the matter with you?"

"Hmm,"

"You're thinking about Hyrule again, aren't you?"

"Mmm hmm."

"I'm just as eager as you are to know what happened that day, but still, it was such a long time ago, and you're worrying about it too much."

"Why shouldn't I? I just wish if I knew he was alive or dead."

Gordon was trying to think of something to say in this tender moment, but was saved by their mother's call.

"KIDS! Come down for food!"

Lydia snapped out of her trance just long enough to get the head start toward the kitchen, pushing and pulling Gordon all the way there.

"I get first dibs!"

"No! I'm older!"

"I'm faster!"

"Yeah, sure!"

It turns out that Gordon _was_ a little faster, but Lydia was too deep in thought again to care too much. As she poked at her potatoes with her fork, she recalled what happened on that day, seven long years ago.

Their Hylian friend Link had pulled the Master Sword from the Pedestal of Time. He disappeared, and she and Gordon were zapped back to Earth with no knowledge of the fate of Link _or_ Princess Zelda. She remembered seeing her parents for the first time in weeks. She giggled to herself as she remembered how freaked they were to see them again. Apparently, their folks really _hadn't_ believed the story in her note, just like Link had said. They had called the police and everything. She recalled having to calm them down and explain where they had been and what had happened. When they didn't believe her, she and Gordon both used their magic to prove it. 

And here they were, seven long years later. Lydia had now reached age 17, and Gordon was now 13 and had grown taller than his sister. Their parents knew all about Hyrule, about Link and Zelda, about their special gift of powerful sorcery, the business with the Sorcerer's Rune, and all the little adventures they had. They had heard the whole story over and over for years. 

But still, there was no word from Hyrule and there was no way she or Gordon could get back there or make some contact. Not hearing anything all this time had Lydia worried. For seven years, she's been worrying on and off about Hyrule's fate.

Seven years. Seven years of normal life. Seven years of friends, school, homework...everything a student on Earth had to worry about. Except for Lydia and Gordon. They had worried about all of those things, plus this. It had been absolute torture.

Now here I am, worrying again, Lydia thought as she played with the Sorcerer's Rune, which now hung from a chain around her neck. Maybe Gordon's right. Maybe I'm worrying too much. But still...you'd think we'd hear something after _seven_ years....

Lydia was brought back into reality when her mom spoke up.

"You're awfully quiet over there," she said. "It's not like you."

"I know," Lydia replied, "but I'm just thinking again."

"Still worried about Hyrule?"

"Actually," Gordon said, "she's probably more worried about Link."

Lydia looked at him to protest, but decided against it. "Maybe you're right," she said. "I don't even know if he's still alive. If I at least knew _that_ much, I'd worry less."

"I'm worried too," Gordon said, "but I've noticed that you've been doing your 'thinking' more often than usual lately."

"I have, haven't I? It just realized a while ago that it's been seven years. That's a _long_ time."

"I know, I know. We should've heard something by now."

Lydia fingered the Sorcerer's Rune again. "I just wish I knew what happened. I wish there was some way we could go back."

***

"Wake up, Hero of Time....," a voice whispered. "The time of awakening has come."

Link sluggishly opened his eyes, feeling like he had been asleep for years.

"The time of awakening has come," the voice repeated.

Link looked around him. He was no longer within the walls of the Temple of Time, but was rather in a large room that looked like it had no walls. It was blue, and rather pretty, and had a "wet" look to it. 

His gaze quickly fell to an old man standing in front of him. "Welcome back, Hero," the old man said. 

"What happened...?" Link asked him. "Where am I?"

"This is the Chamber of Sages, in the Temple of Light. I am Rauru, the light sage. You've been here ever since you removed the Master Sword from its resting place long ago."

"Long ago...? What do you mean 'long ago'?"

"Look at yourself, Link."

Link looked down toward his feet. Everything was different. His feet were bigger, his arms and legs were longer. He looked....several years older...

"It's been seven years since that day," the old man continued.

Geez, Link thought, I really _have_ been asleep for years. Questions suddenly flooded his head and he struggled to spit them all out.

"What happened? How could I have been here seven years? What happened to Zelda? Where have Lydia and Gordon gone? What about Ganondorf??"

"Slow down, Hero of Time," Rauru said. "Have patience, and I will answer your questions."

***

The next day, Lydia and Gordon were relaxing in the front yard of their big, white house, enjoying the first day of summer vacation. Lydia glanced around her. "This is so much better than our old house," she said. A big, green yard, a big house, friendly neighbors.... What more could a girl ask for?"

"How about not having to worry about Link anymore?" Gordon suggested.

Lydia snarled. "Oh _thanks_. Now I'm all depressed again."

"Sorry." He looked back into the book he was reading.

Lydia decided not to think about Hyrule for now, and started reading her book again. She was working through the third Harry Potter book, and she decided that it didn't help to be reading a Harry Potter book when she was trying to forget Hyrule. After all, Harry Potter books are all about wizardry and magic. Seems like everything reminds me of Hyrule, she thought. She reached up and clutched the Sorcerer's Rune tightly in her hand. 

"I can't stand much of this anymore," she said.

"What? Worrying all the time?" Gordon asked.

"Yeah. It's just driving me NUTS not knowing anything."

"Yeah, our departure from Hyrule _was_ rather abrupt."

"I hate waiting for answers! I need answers _now_ before I go bananas!"

Gordon shut his book and stood up. "Speaking of bananas...I think I need a snack," he said. "Don't go bananas while I'm gone."

"I'll try not to," Lydia scoffed. She stared back into her book as Gordon trotted inside the house.

_Answers_, she thought. _I only want answers_. _Is that too much?_

Somewhere in the sky, she heard thunder. She glanced up and said, "Damn thunderstorms. I've had enough of them! If another one comes along I'll –"

She stopped short when she saw what caused the thunder sound. It wasn't a dark raincloud like she expected. A shining, golden Triforce had appeared in the sky.

Lydia dropped her book in utter shock. She jumped out of her chair and ran out into the middle of the front yard. "No!" she shouted. "It couldn't be!"

The familiar blue light dropped out of the center of the Triforce formation. Lydia was beside herself with excitement as a something dropped down through the light. Her excitement only accelerated when the object dropped in her direction. The blue light disappeared, and Lydia's excitement dropped like a brick, just like the object that was about to land on her.

Before she knew what happened, Lydia found herself on the ground with something very heavy sitting on her back. She turned her head with a snarl as the thing on top of her groaned in pain. When she saw what was sitting on her, she was once again beside herself with excitement. It was a guy wearing a very familiar green tunic. She smiled greatly, more brilliant a smile than any other she had ever made in her entire life.

"If I wasn't so happy to see you," she said, "I'd kill you for landing on me again."

The figure jumped up and stood over her. Lydia had recognized him right away. It was Link. He was older, roughly seventeen, and much taller than he was when she last saw him. And even though she wouldn't dare say it out loud, he was…_very _handsome. He was carrying a different sword and shield on his back, she noticed. The sword he had looked much like the Master Sword they had seen all that time ago.

Link stared down at her for a few seconds, and then himself beared a huge smile.

"Lydia!" he greeted her happily. "Is that _you?_ How great to see you again! It took me a moment to recognize you." He bent over and helped Lydia stand up. He rubbed the back of his head and said, "Sorry. I guess I have to work on my landings."

Lydia rubbed her back. "I should say so."

Link smiled. "So, um, how've you been?"

Lydia stamped her foot and gripped his tunic collar in her hands. "I've been worried to death about you and Hyrule! What happened?"

"Well, it's a _really_ long story. Can it wait a little while? We've got some catching up to do."

"Yeah, I guess you're right."

Link looked up at the house. "First of all," he said, "…..where are we?"

"My house, of course."

"I seem to recall your house was blue, and a lot smaller."

Lydia laughed. "Oh yeah. This is a new place. We moved to a different town soon after we got back to Earth."

"Ah. I like this house more."

"Me, too." She moved onto a different subject quickly. "Hold still, let me take a look at you."

Link did as he was told, only moving his head to watch Lydia circle around him a couple times.

"You've grown a _lot_," she said finally. "And look, you've finally added a little muscle!" She poked one of his arms.

"At least _I_ have...." Link muttered quietly.

"What was that?"

"Oh, um, nothing! My turn now." Link circled Lydia a few times and said, "You've grown a lot as well, but you're still as scrawny as I remember you."

Lydia punched his shoulder with an agitated smile on her face.

"Back to the good old days, huh?" Link said.

"Hey!" Lydia suddenly shouted. "I gotta get Gordon! He'll wanna see you!"

"How's he been?"

"Just fine, as fine as fine can be, given our situation. He's just the same, except taller."

"How old is he now?"

"Thirteen. How old are _you_ now?"

"Seventeen-ish."

"...-ish?"

The Hylian shrugged his shoulders. "I'm not sure when I was born, exactly. You know that. All I've ever had to go on is what the Deku Tree has told me."

Lydia nodded. "Yes, I see." She looked at the ground for a moment, then looked up brightly again. "You _have_ to meet my parents! Come on!"

"Are they as crazy as you?" Link joked.

"You have my personal guarantee." She then grabbed Link's wrist and ran toward the house, pulling him along. Link trailed behind, working hard to keep up with her without falling on his face. 


	2. Chapter 2

**_Worlds Apart  
Part II  
By Miss Lydia_******

**Chapter 2**

"I haven't seen her this happy in years," Gordon said.

"I know," his dad said. "I'm glad the little mystery has finally been solved."

"Uh huh, it really _is_ a relief. I can't wait until Link tells us what happened. You wanna hear about it?"

Greg looked across the room. Lydia was over there by the door standing next to Link. She was talking to him in very quick, short sentences, hopping up and down during the whole process. Link was laughing and had his hands up; he was obviously trying to calm her down a little.

"Sorry, we can't. I have a board meeting and your mom has an appointment. You can tell us all about it when we get back, okay?"

Gordon shrugged. "That'll work."

Lydia and Gordon soon switched places. Lydia began talking to her parents and Gordon moved in on Link.

Link smiled and shook his head. "Has it really been seven years?" he asked.

"_Yes_," Gordon replied in a huff. "Believe me, _I_ should know. I _live_ with Lydia and the fact that it's been seven years has been all she talks about lately."

"Seems like only yesterday to me that I pulled this sword."

"_This_ sword? You mean you have it with you?"

Link reached behind him and patted the Master Sword's handle, the only thing sticking out of the colorful sheath.

"Neat!" Gordon continued. "Say, what do you mean by 'it seems like yesterday'? I mean, it's been _seven_ years."

"Well, as soon as Lydia calms down enough to sit still for two minutes, I can explain what happened that day Ganondorf attacked us."

"I don't know how long it'll be before she calms down. You have no idea how happy she is."

Link looked at her, then at Gordon again. 

"You have no idea," Gordon continued, "how worried she's been since that day. Mainly about you, I think. I think she's mainly happy to see that you're all right."

"She's been worried about me?"

"Horribly. It's all she's ever talked about."

Link blushed a little.

Gordon changed the subject slightly to save Link some embarrassment. "We've also been really worried about Hyrule. What's happened?"

Link rubbed the back of his head. "Well, I can't tell you what's going on with Hyrule."

"Why not?"

"Because I don't know – I haven't seen it yet."

After their parents had left, Gordon and Link sat down on the big couch in the living room. It took a little doing, but they finally got Lydia to sit, too.

"Okay," she excitedly said, "time for explanations. Link, what happened that day?"

Link leaned back and sucked in a deep breath. "Here we go....," he breathed, and finger-drummed the pillow next to him.

Gordon turned sideways and listened. Lydia leaned forward in her chair.

"As you remember, Ganondorf attacked all of us in the Temple of Time. I paniked and tried to yank the sword out of the pedestal. I was surprised when it slid out so easily."

"I vaguely recall Zelda saying something about that sword," Gordon cut in. "Something about a...Hero of Time....or something like that."

"Right," Link agreed. "Only the Hero of Time can remove the Master Sword."

Lydia gasped quietly. "So that would make you......"

Link nodded. "The Hero of Time."

Lydia put her hands behind her head. "Wow," she laughed. "I guess you aren't _completely_ useless after all! And I thought you'd never accomplish anything!"

Link smirked and suddenly whipped the pillow that had been near him toward Lydia. It hit her square in the face. She fell back into her chair, completely shocked. Gordon nearly fell off of the couch laughing. When Link started laughing too, Lydia reared her arm and threw the pillow back. Link continued laughing and threw it at her again. She threw it at Gordon, and after getting hit, he threw one. Very soon, an intense pillow war had commenced in the living room and had all three of them laughing like children.

Once the war ended--Lydia insisted she won--Link sat back down and caught his breath quickly. 

Gordon laughed. "Not the most mature bunch, are we?"

"Anyway," he continued, trying to stop laughing, "I pulled the Master Sword, and that blue light surrounded me. At that point forward, I don't remember anything. I opened my eyes again, and I was in the Chamber of Sages, and met the Light Sage, Rauru. He is the one who told me what happened."

"What did he say?" Lydia anxiously asked.

"When the Master Sword was removed from the Pedestal of Time, there was a powerful energy reaction. Whatever it was, it was so strong that it neutralized the magic that was keeping you two in Hyrule, and you were both thrown back home."

"It had some kind of effect on the Ocarina of Time, you mean?"

The Hylian shrugged. "Some kind of energy overload, I guess."

"Ohhh...," Gordon said. "What did it do to you?"

"Apparently, I wasn't supposed to have the sword yet – the Hero of Time can't be a ten-year-old kid. So just before it sent you two home, it locked my spirit on the Sacred Realm."

"Ah!" Lydia agreed. "That's what happened when you disappeared."

Link nodded. "My spirit was sealed away for seven long years, basically until I was old enough to be the Hero."

Lydia's eyes widened. "You...you mean you've basically lost seven years completely?"

"Yeah. I pulled the sword, and seconds later – to me anyway – I'm in the Chamber of Sages, seven years older than I had been just before."

"But it really wasn't 'just before'," Gordon said. "It was _seven years_ before."

"It's like seven years was just dropped out of my timeline. To you two, it's been seven years since the whole thing in the Temple of Time. To me, it was almost literally just yesterday."

Lydia shook her head. "That's horrible!" she shouted. "I'd want to _live_ through those seven years. I'd be SO mad if seven years were taken away from me."

"What did that sage guy tell you then?" Gordon asked.

"He told me," Link continued, "the worst part of the whole story after that."

Lydia looked up suddenly. "......You mean it gets worse?" she said hesitantly.

"The Master Sword was the final key to the Sacred Realm. We expected to open the door and get the Triforce. What actually happened was completely unexpected. When we got the sword, it sent us in different directions, basically leaving the Triforce exposed. We weren't there to protect it."

Gordon frowned. "You don't mean....Ganondorf?"

"Yes," he said darkly, looking at the floor. "We led him right to the sacred relic."

Lydia jumped out of her chair. "Ganondorf got the Triforce?? _What_??"

Link nodded slowly. "Rauru said that the power of the Triforce enabled Ganondorf to become the King of Evil, and he's turned Hyrule into a world of monsters."

The sorceress gawked. "Hyrule....? Our beautiful Hyrule...? A world of monsters?"

"How bad is it?" Gordon asked quickly.

"I dunno, I haven't seen Hyrule yet. I'll get to that later," Link replied. "But first, I want to tell you two something interesting.

Lydia sat back down and tried to look as interested as possible, but the horrible pictures forming in her head were distracting, and she had to fight those off.

"Apparently," Link continued, "when Ganondorf touched the Triforce, an old Sheikah legend came true. The three forces – Power, Wisdom, and Courage – weren't in balance in his heart, and the Triforce split into three pieces. Ganondorf only got the Triforce of Power. The two other pieces are hidden within two people chosen by destiny."

"Who?" Lydia asked.

Link shrugged. "We don't know. I'm guessing they're each hidden within someone very wise and someone very courageous."

"So Ganondorf doesn't have complete power?"

"No, but that doesn't mean he can't destroy Hyrule. I'll be surprised if he hasn't yet."

"Now," Gordon said, "you said you haven't seen Hyrule's state yet. Why?"

"Oh yeah," Link said. "After Rauru told me the whole story, I was sent back into the Temple of Time. I came straight here from there. I didn't even go outside. I figured I should find you two as quickly as possible. From what I've seen, I can tell you that the inside of Temple of Time is still the same, at least."

Lydia rested her chin in her palm, falling deep into thought. She looked up suddenly. "Hey!" she shouted. "What about Zelda? Zelda was there, too!"

Link sighed. "Not even Rauru knows where she is."

"You mean she's vanished again? Perhaps Ganondorf has her.....?"

"There's no way to know."

"No, but there's a way to find out!" Lydia shouted as she jumped up again.

Gordon looked up at her and said "What are you thinking of? A way to find out?"

"Elementary, Gordon! We need to go back to Hyrule and investigate things for ourselves!"

Link's face brightened up slightly. "That's why I came here so fast. I want you two to come back with me. I know there'll be trouble, and I'd love your help."

"Right," Gordon agreed. "When do we leave?"

"Now's good."

"And we're even more powerful than before!" Lydia shouted. "I still have that spellbook – it's upstairs. I'll get it before we leave. We've been brushing up on new spells. I even taught Gordon the Dragon Slave last year."

Link's face fell as he looked at her and said, "Isn't that spell dangerous to cast?"

Lydia giggled. "It was seven years ago, yeah. Casting it was nearly lethal for me, and would've definitely been lethal to Gordon, all because of the energy that spell requires. But now, we're both old enough to cast it without too much trouble. I'm sure Gordon can pull it off, and I could probably cast it left and right without a hitch."

Link smiled again. "A spell like that will sure be useful."

"Also," Gordon said, "look there." He pointed to Lydia's necklace and she held it up. The glittering chain shone in the sunlight from the windows, but not so brightly as the red stone that was attached.

"Oh, great!" Link said. "You still have the Sorcerer's Rune!"

"Yeah," Lydia said. "I got tired of carrying it in my pocket, so I had a jeweler put it on a chain. But that won't affect what it can do."

"What _can_ it do? Do you know how to use it?"

She smirked like a know-it-all. "It's a magic amplification tool. A magic talisman. I can use it to make my spells stronger." She paused, then put one finger to her lip. "Rather ironic. Big Nose Ganondorf was going to use this against us, and now we're gonna use it against _him_. I really like the way this is going."

"Just wait until Ganondorf gets a load of us now!" Gordon shouted enthusiastically.

"The three of us make a team of unbeatable, bone-crushing heroes!" Link said.

"A powerful sorcerer, the Hero of Time, and a crazy sister!" Gordon listed. "We make a real dream team!"

"Hey, you," Lydia scowled. "I'm a powerful sorcerer too! It's _two_ powerful sorcerers and the Hero of Time!"

Gordon retreated. "Fine, fine, have it your way," he said through a laugh.

"Oh, my way? Great! We make a team of the Hero of Time, some weird little kid, and the most beautiful, intelligent, and powerful sorceress in any land!" Lydia beamed proudly.

Gordon jumped up and protested. "I take it back! If that's 'your way', I take it back! You can't have it your way!"

Link's eyes trailed from one sorcerer to another as they bickered playfully with each other. _Look at them carry on this stupid argument_, he thought to himself. _I thought arguing with her was MY job... Well, now that we're together again, if anything can be done for Hyrule, it'll be done. That man is really in for it._

***

_  
"Dear Mom and Dad,_

_We're gone again. Apparently, Hyrule's still in big trouble – in fact, it's much worse than before. We're talking on the verge of total destruction, here. We'll tell you all about it some other time. Gordon and I have gone back to Hyrule again with Link to do everything we can. I'm hoping we can set things right. We'll be home as soon as possible, but given what I've been told, it may be a while. Don't call the police this time, okay?_

_See you again soon,_

_Lydia_

Lydia taped the note to the porch door, then jogged away, joining Gordon and Link in the front yard. "At least they'll believe it this time," she said.

"Ready then?" Link asked.

"Yep!" Gordon replied quickly.

"Oh, wait, nope!" Lydia suddenly shouted. "We can't go anywhere without packing! Gordon, are you honestly going to wear that shirt the whole time? We may be there for weeks, like last time."

"We didn't pack last time, and we were fine," came his reply.

"We're older now and can't get by with one pair of pants and a shirt. It doesn't work that way anymore." Lydia turned to face Link. "Link, tell him I'm right."

Link sighed and turned to Gordon. "She's right," he said, almost as if he was forced to.

Gordon scoffed and Lydia laughed. "Of course I am!" shouted Lydia triumphantly as she ran back into the house. "Get in here and pack a bag, Gordon!"

Gordon turned to Link after Lydia ran inside. "Since when do you side with _her_?" he asked.

Link laughed at him. "Who's siding with who? I just wanted her to shut up."

After Gordon had gathered some clothes and Lydia had packed the essentials, they rejoined Link in the yard.

"Are you ready _now_?" he asked them.

"Yeah, we're ready," Lydia replied as she adjusted the shoulder strap of her travel bag.

"You're sure this time?"

"Yes, yes, let's go."

Link reached under his shield, then hesitated and looked at Lydia again.

She rolled her eyes. "I _said_ we're ready!"

"Okay," said Link, "just checking."

Link glanced at the sky as he pulled out the familiar blue ocarina that had taken them to Hyrule the first time. Link raised it and played the slow song that would send them there again. The notes flowed through the air as the ground glowed and the blue light appeared. Everything went bright as the ground seemed to disappear beneath them.

"Here we go again....," Lydia muttered to herself.


	3. Chapter 3

**_Worlds Apart  
Part II  
By Miss Lydia_****__**

**Chapter 3**

Lydia didn't open her eyes again until the light had faded completely. When she did, she recognized a very familiar room. She remembered the walls she saw as the walls of the Temple of Time. She winced as she tried to shift her weight off of something she was painfully laying on top of (which happened to be the Pedestal of Time), but was having a lot of trouble moving. 

"....What the hell...?" she grumbled to herself.

She heard a groan and looked around. She saw Link, who was also on the ground, except he was stretched out right on top of her, and lying on top of _him_ was Gordon.

That was the last straw. "_Honestly!!_" she shouted with anger in her voice. "Now you're _both_ on me! Can't you two travel without landing on me??"

She'd never seen anyone jump up that fast in her entire life.  
  
After apologies--and punches from a rather angry Lydia--went around, the group walked slowly together out into the first room of the Temple of Time. The three spiritual stones were still shining from their hollows on the altar. 

"You're right, Link," Lydia said. "It looks the same so far."

"I just hope to Din that the rest of Hyrule is still okay," he replied.

Gordon shook his head doubtfully. "I wouldn't be so sure," he whispered.

Link continued forward as Lydia hung back near Gordon. She watched Link step out of the temple as she asked "Why are you thinking so negatively? It won't help in any –"

Just then, they heard Link cry out in surprise. Without thinking, Gordon and Lydia dashed the rest of the way out of the temple and caught up to Link, who was standing just outside.

It was very obvious why Link reacted that way. Lydia and Gordon followed Link's lead, staring around them, gawking in horror. The part of Hyrule that was stretched out before them was the most horrible thing they'd ever seen. The beautiful blue sky was replaced by a stormy brown mess. The peaceful cloud around Death Mountain was now a ring of red fire. Crows flew around in the dark sky, continuously cawing a dreadful death call. The wind howled through the area like a sick wolf.

Link dropped to his knees in shock. He began to mumble quietly to himself. Lydia couldn't really make it out, but somewhere in the middle she heard him say "Oh....my....God...." and "....that horrible bastard...". Things of that nature.

Gordon dropped down beside him and tried to comfort him a little. Lydia had never felt more sorry for someone before. If I returned to my hometown and saw it like this, she thought, I'd be babbling on the ground, too.

"This is horrible...." she finally said.

Gordon looked up at her with a pitiful look in his eyes that agreed with her. He looked almost ready to cry. Link looked like he was even closer to tears than Gordon was. She decided that she had to say _something_, but had a hard time choosing the right thing.

"Well," she finally spoke, "maybe _all_ of Hyrule isn't like this. Maybe the rest of Hyrule is still okay.....".

Link slowly looked up at her and gave her a sorry look that basically said "I know you don't really think that", and then he looked at the ground again.

It's true, thought Lydia, I really _don't_ think that the rest of Hyrule is okay.

After some strength finally returned to Link's legs, the three of them walked slowly out of the Temple of Time's courtyard, toward the Market. As soon as they entered the market, Lydia immediately regretted not just flying away while keeping Link's eyes covered. The market was even worse than the temple courtyard. The people were gone. All of the houses and shops were either boarded up or completely gutted out and ruined. The only life in the market were of the several Redeads skulking around, if one can even call that life. The only sound in the once bustling and musical market was now howling wind and the Redead's groans.

Link fell to the ground again. This was almost too much to bear, even for someone as brave as he was.

"Gordon," Lydia said quickly, "let's improve the scenery a little bit."

"Right," he replied in agreement. He seemed to know exactly what she meant.

They dropped their bags next to Link and each picked a Redead.

Lydia aimed her fingers at the closest one. "**Assha Dist!**" It groaned loudly and disintegrated.

Gordon followed her lead. "**Hell Blast!**" The targeted Redead quivered, fell, and disappeared.

"**Assha Dist!**"

"**Hell Blast!**"

"**Assha Dist!**"

"**Hell Blast!**"

Eventually, all the Redeads where gone. Lydia dusted her hands off and spotted the fountain in the middle of the market. Gordon, who had taken his place next to Link again, watched her curiously as she approached it. She stood next to it and snapped her fingers. "**Aqua Create.**" Clear blue water materialized in the fountain. It didn't flow like it used to. It just sat in the bottom, but it added some blue to the scene.

Gordon appeared next to her and asked "What did you do that for?"

"I just wanted to add a little color, for Link's sake," she replied.

Just then, the blueness of the water she created slowly faded until it was a muddy puddle in the bottom of the fountain.

She scoffed. "So much for _that_ idea," she said quietly. "Anything remotely nice looking around here will disappear, it looks like."

"Yeah, the evil energy in this area is horribly high."

Lydia quickly raised her finger to her lips. "Sshh! Link will hear you! Keep it down. You don't need to make him any more upset."

Gordon glanced back at Link, who was still on the ground. He appeared to be shivering slightly. "Don't worry," he said, "I don't think Link can hear _anything_ right now...."

Lydia shook her head sadly. "I feel so bad. Let's be sure to be extra nice to him, okay?"

"Naturally, if we can ever snap him out of that trance he's in."

"He'll come around. We need to get him out of here first. Having to look at this market is making him worse, if anything."

Gordon nodded, and suddenly had a thought. "Oh," he whispered, "what about Hyrule Castle? Do you think...?"

Lydia shook her head doubtfully. "I don't know. Listen, why don't you cruise over there and look it over? I'll stay with Link."

"Check. **Ray Wing!**" Gordon took off north, where Hyrule Castle was supposedly standing.

Lydia slowly made her way back to where Link had settled. She knelt down by him and put her hand on his shoulder, but he didn't say anything. He didn't even move. He just sat there in utter horror.

"Listen," she said quietly, "I'll make Ganondorf pay for this. I'll find him and I'll—(she growled and put her hands out, making a strangling motion)—I'll make him pay! .......Okay?"

The only response she got was a weak nod. Lydia sighed and looked up in time to see Gordon flying back. As he landed a little distance away, Lydia got up and jogged over there.

"...How is it.....?" she asked him nervously.

Gordon looked up at her with fear in his eyes. "Whatever you do," he replied, "do _NOT_ let Link go in there."

"That bad, huh? Geez.... What's it like?"

"From the looks of things, Ganondorf moved in and remodeled the place."

Lydia winced at the thought of it.

"The castle as we remember it," he continued, "is totally gone. In its place is a really nasty looking disaster of a castle. Here's the freaky part. It's floating over a lake of magma, yet. And the whole surrounding area is in ruins."

"Ssshh! Sshh!" she whispered loudly. "He can hear you!"

"Sorry, sorry...."

It was too late, however. Link suddenly broke the eerie silence of the dead market. He raised his fists high in the air and started to scream toward the sky. 

"_Damn you, Ganondorf!!_" he shrieked, and with newfound strength, he fiercely jumped to his feet and began to sprint at top speed toward Ganon's Castle. As he flew past Lydia and Gordon, he screamed "I'll kill you with my bare hands!!"

Lydia wasted no time. She jumped behind Link as he ran past, grabbing his waist. Her heels skidded through the dirt as she tried to stop him, but was only pulled along for the ride. She let go and ran ahead. She jumped in front of him and held her hands out.

"Link, stop! Don't get crazy!"

He quickly side-stepped her and ran past with tears in his eyes, still screeching at the top of his voice.

Lydia got mad and ran past again. She caught up again as Link ran through what used to be the Hyrule Castle gates. This time, when she got in front of him, she recoiled her arm and slapped him square across the face, causing him to stop dead in his tracks. Gordon stopped, too, just behind him. The sound of the strike echoed off the stone walls around them.

Link blinked a few times and then slowly rubbed his sore cheek.

"Thanks...," he muttered quietly. "I really needed that."

Lydia lowered her arm and her eyes. "I'm really sorry," she apologized. "But trying to face Ganon now will only get you killed. I'm sorry, I really didn't want to smack you like that."

"No, really, it's okay. I just lost my head – I needed a good slap."

"It's all right. I understand why you lost your temper back there."

Link looked at his feet. "Hyrule....my home...it's...destroyed. I've never felt so terrible and angry before."

Gordon stepped in front. "We know," he said, "this is upsetting for all of us, but most of all for you."

"And like I said," said Lydia, "I'll get to Ganondorf and make him pay for this. Just not now."

Link nodded. "Of course not now. We don't know anything of what's going on or what kind of action to take. After all, Ganondorf has the Triforce of Power now."

Lydia tried to brighten the mood a little. "Hey," she said, "don't worry! Remember, Link, we're the team of unbeatable, bone-crushing heroes, right?"

Link smiled weakly. "Yeah, that's right."

A chilly wind began to blow through the area that made Gordon shiver. "Let's get out of here," he said. "I don't know if I can stand this place anymore."

"I agree," Lydia replied. "And Link needs to see something more pleasant than this awfulness."

She took hold of Link's arm and gently turned him around. Together, the trio started back toward the ruined market, only to find a nasty surprise waiting there.

Lydia and Gordon looked around, totally spellbound. Link stood with some newfound courage and said, "Um....correct me if I'm wrong, but.... Didn't you two kill those things?"

All the Redeads were back, standing in their previous positions, scattered across the market ruins.

"We...We DID! Where did they come from so fast?" Lydia screeched.

"As I said before," said Gordon, "the evil energy here is unusually high. They probably regenerated after we left."

Standing behind them, Link shuddered gently.

Lydia stepped forward. "We don't have time for this," she barked. "I'll take 'em out with one shot."

As she stepped forward, she didn't even notice Link pull out his Ocarina and raise it. She stopped and turned as she heard Link play a short melody. A beam of yellow light surrounded him. When it disappeared, all the Redeads were suddenly covered in white magic something-or-other and stopped moving completely.

"What was that?" she asked Link.

Link put the Ocarina away and said, "The Sun's Song. Now the Redeads are frozen and we can just walk past them. You said yourself that we don't have time to mess with them."

"True that, true that. But....you know....I've been waiting a while to give this Sorcerer's Rune a test run."

Link understood. "Go for it."

"All right!" she squealed. She turned and walked into the center of the market, closing her eyes to concentrate. The Sorcerer's Rune started to sparkle.

_"Lord of Darkness and the Four Worlds, I call upon you!  
Grant me all the power you possess!"_

The Sorcerer's Rune shone brightly as she shouted the spell. 

"**Assha..DIST!**"

Instead of only killing one Redead, the spell spread out and killed all of them in the square.

Lydia turned around and flashed a victory sign.

"Victory!" she shouted. "That felt good. Amazing what you can do with an ordinary spell if you just amplify it!"

"I feel so inadequate," Gordon said suddenly.

Lydia laughed. "Don't worry, man," she said, "I'll let you take care of the next batch of critters, okay?"

"No, you won't," he replied with a smile. "I know you better than that."

"Well," Link broke in, "let's not wait around for more Redeads to kill. Can we get out of here now?"

"At least when we do," Gordon said, "you can kill something _alive_. I'm sure it's boring for you to kill something that's already _dead_."

Lydia laughed softly. "It kinda is, now that you mention it."

"Let's go," Link repeated. "This place is giving me a near-lethal case of the jitters."

After they'd weaved through the mess that used to be Hyrule Market, the group found themselves at the entrance to Hyrule Field. The drawbridge was broken and now sitting half-submerged in the castle moat. They all jumped across and stood in the field. Looking around, Lydia felt tears welling up. Except this time, they were tears of joy. She looked aside and saw that Link was feeling the same way.

The blue sky made a re-appearance and the grass was still green. Lon Lon Ranch still stood in the distance and appeared to be in one piece. The sun was high in the sky, casting light on all of Hyrule. Hyrule Field was just as they had left it, not a ruined, disgusting mess, like the market.

Lydia jumped up and down excitedly while clinging to Link's arm. "Look! Look everybody!" she shouted happily. "I was right! Not _all_ of Hyrule is ruined!"

"Yeah!" Gordon agreed. "I'm glad to see something familiar!"

Lydia pointed toward the south end of the field. "Look that way, Link! There's my crater!"

He did as he was told and looked where she was pointing. Sure enough, her Dragon Slave crater was still there. It was partially eroded, but it was still there. He loudly let go a sigh of relief.

"Well," Gordon said, "the field looks okay. But what about the rest of Hyrule? Like the mountain and the lake and the valley and the –"

"Quiet, Gordon," Lydia said coldly. "We'll worry about that later. Don't ruin the moment."

"Sorry."

"I agree with you," Link said to her, "but we should at least see if Kakariko is still where it used to be. We need to sleep somewhere. It's probably getting late."

Almost as if on cue, the sky began to turn orange as the sun began to set.

Lydia smiled. "Well, at least the sun still rises in the east and sets in the west. That's a good sign." 

"Let's go to Kakariko," said Gordon.

"**Ray Wing**!"

After being so discouraged about the state of the market and castle area, seeing Kakariko again lifted everyone's spirits. Even Link seemed totally back to normal. Kakariko, like the field, looked exactly the same. And what pleased everyone the most was seeing people that they recognized from the old Hyrule Market.

"Looks like they retreated here when the market was ruined," Link suggested as they landed by the tree.

"Yeah, there are a lot more people than there used to be," said Gordon.

"What about that traveler that lent us his house?" Lydia asked. "We need to talk to him about where we can stay while we're here. Do you see him anywhere?"

"No....," Link replied, "but I don't think we ever will."

Slightly confused, Lydia followed Link's gaze until her eyes fell upon the traveler's house they had stayed in seven years before. Nailed across the door was a wooden sign.

**ABANDONED**

"I say we claim it!" Link suddenly suggested.

"Of course we should, " Lydia agreed.

"Doesn't look like he'll be using it anymore," Gordon added.

All three of them approached the abandoned house. Link ripped the wooden sign off of the door and broke it over his knee. Lydia walked past and opened the door, which creaked loudly with age.

The inside of the house was very musty and dark, like one that hadn't been lived in for several years. It was the same as they remembered it, just a lot more dusty.

Lydia raised her arms into a stretch. "Well," she said, "I'm beat. I'm gonna dust off one of these pillows and get some sleep."

"That's a good idea," Gordon said. "I think I will, too."

"Tomorrow, we can go around and check out the state of the other parts of Hyrule," Link yawned.

Lydia looked at him and said, "Are you sure you're ready to do that?"

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"Well, you completely lost control in the market. I had to hit you, remember? What if another piece of Hyrule is like that?"

"Don't worry, I'll control myself next time. I just wasn't ready for what we saw outside the temple. If you were me, you'd be the same way, right?"

Lydia nodded and glanced toward Gordon. He had already dusted off the sheets of one of the beds and was crawling in. She turned back to Link and said, "I just hope we don't see anything like that again."

"We'd better not, or I'll pitch one hell of a fit," he replied.

"If any other parts of Hyrule are as horribly destroyed as the market," growled Lydia, "I'll shove a fireball right up Ganon's—"

Gordon's pillow suddenly flew out of nowhere and hit Lydia in the head. "Hey, you two," Gordon said drowsily. "Didn't you say we need sleep? Then _sleep_ already."

Lydia bent down and threw his pillow back at him before making her way to her own bed. She dusted off the sheets and pillows and climbed in herself. Link shut the windows and curtains to block out any remaining light before getting into his own bed. Lydia rolled over with the knowledge that sleep wouldn't come easily tonight. There was way too much this-and-that to think about. What's Ganondorf up to, she thought. Why would he do all this? What should we do about it? The man now has the powers of the goddesses of Hyrule, since he has the Triforce of Power. Will we be able to defeat him? I wonder if Link feels any better about all this. Maybe he's just faking that he feels better. For his sake, we'd better not see anything else as horrible as that market. 

With those silent questions imprinting themselves in her brain, Lydia slowly drifted off into a light sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

**_Worlds Apart  
Part II  
By Miss Lydia_****__**

**Chapter 4**

Lydia rubbed her back stiffly as she got up. "Owww...these beds aren't the most comfortable things in Hyrule, are they?"

"What do you expect?" Gordon replied. "They haven't been slept in for seven years. I'm sure once we break 'em in they'll be fine."

Lydia straightened the sheets of her bed as Gordon got out of his, cracking every bone in his body along the way. Lydia was almost used to this – it was a daily routine of his to crack everything. She yawned and looked up to find that Link's bed was empty.

"Ummm...where's Link?"

"Uh?" Gordon yawned. "I dunno. You had him last."

"It was _your_ turn to watch him."

"Bull. It was your turn."

Lydia scoffed and walked to the window. She whipped open the shutters and let the morning light flood in. The sky outside was not as blue as she'd like. It was more of a brownish-gray. At least it's still up there, she thought. Bringing her eyes down to ground level again, she saw Link leaning against the tree outside, staring at the sky.

"There he is," she said.

"Who?" she heard Gordon ask.

Lydia rolled her eyes. "The Easter bunny. Come on, let's go. Leave the door open. This place needs some air."

Link turned around slowly. "Oh, g'morning," he greeted.

Lydia walked forward and poked his ribs. "You're quite the early bird, aren't you?"

He poked her back and answered "Whaddya mean 'early bird'? You two sleep late."

"So what? It's good to get plenty of sleep."

"Yeah, but you two slept a good eleven hours. Look how high the sun is already."

"Well, your jolly old sun can go fly a kite for all I care. Now, don't we have a few places to visit today?"

Gordon appeared beside her and yawned again. "Where should we go first?" he asked.

Link looked at the sky again and said, "I suppose we could just start at Goron City, then work our way south and around."

"Let's go then," Gordon said.

"Hang on, I need my stuff," Link said, then ran into the house.

Lydia put her hands behind her back and looked at Gordon. "I tell you one thing," she said sternly, "that Ganondorf is in enough trouble with me as it is. If any other place in Hyrule is messed up...."

"I know, I know," Gordon concurred. "You'll shove a fireball right up Ganon's—"

"I'm back!" Link called suddenly. He appeared behind them with the Master Sword and his shield now draped over his shoulder.

Gordon sighed and said, "Okay, then, let's get the morning started."

"Don't you mean," Link said, "let's get the _afternoon_ started?"

Lydia took hold of one of his ears and pulled hard. "Hey, you," she warned. "Enough about our sleeping habits."

Link pinched her hand hard until she let go. "Okay, okay, sorry."

"**Ray Wing!**"

***

Link looked around him. He was standing in the entrance to Goron City, and was expecting to see Gorons everywhere, just like the last time he had been there, seven years back.

But it was empty. Not a Goron in sight.

"Nice cave," Lydia said, standing right behind him. "Empty, but nice."

Gordon gently shoved her aside and looked around them. A cave, yes, in its own way. A fancy, three floored cave, with many tunnels leading out of this main area. He glanced at Link's back and said "I know I don't really have to ask, but, this place is supposed to be full of people, right?"

The silence fell then, and Gordon could have sworn it made a thunk on the floor.

"This can't be good," Lydia murmured as she crouched down and absently started drawing in the dirt with her finger.

"Where are they all?" Link asked, mostly to himself. He walked to the edge of the path and turned his attention the bottom floor. He stared for a moment at something neither of the sorcerers could see, then turned and backtracked to them. 

Standing back up, Lydia raised her eyebrow in a questioning way.

"The room where the Goron leader is supposed to be," the Hylian finally said, "is completely sealed."

"Do you think they all ran away?" Gordon wondered.

Silence fell again. Another thunk.

"Perhaps...," Link mused, "but I have a bad feeling."

Lydia curled her lip, then turned her head back toward the entrance. "Do you think anyone else ran away? Like...the Zoras, maybe?"

Gordon swallowed the lump in his throat, then look at Link and said, "There's only one way to find out."

"Yes," Link said quietly. "Let's go there. Something's going on, and we have to find out just what."

***

Lydia and Gordon flew around the border of Hyrule until they could see the winding trails of Zora's River below them. It looked the same from where they were. Gordon even recognized the corner where that Tektite army had attacked them during their first visit. They landed at the natural bridges and noticed something that was different. Link held his hand out.

"Hey...is it...snowing?" he asked. 

Sure enough, a chilly wind was blowing and snowflakes were rapidly falling around the entrance to Zora's Domain.

"It sure looks like snow to me," Gordon replied.

"Does it usually snow in these parts?" Lydia asked.

"The only place I've ever seen snow is in the Ice Cavern," Link said. "This is really strange..."

"You mean it doesn't snow anywhere in Hyrule?"

"Not that I know of."

"I know what that means. It mean's trouble."

"_Very_ observant," Gordon said sarcastically.

Lydia bopped him on the head and turned to Link. He quickly put his arms over his head in his own defense. 

"I'm not gonna hit you," Lydia said quickly. "What do you take me for? I just was going to ask if you can open Zora's Domain again."

Link lowered his arms cautiously. "Yeah, of course I can."

"Great!" Lydia said cheerfully as she bopped him on his now unprotected head.

Link gave her hair a hard tug before pulling out the Ocarina of Time. He played a short song and the waterfall parted. Lydia jumped to the door quickly ("Ladies first, guys!") and disappeared into the domain.

Link put away his Ocarina and turned to Gordon. "How do you put up with her?"

Gordon laughed and said, "My friend, it takes _years_ of experience."

Staring. That's all that occurred inside the domain. Staring. Three pairs of eyes were staring all over Zora's Domain.

Link laughed in disbelief. "I don't believe it," he chuckled.

The domain was frozen over. The water was actually there this time, but it was ice. Solid ice. And once again, there were no Zoras in sight.

"Why must everything happen to the poor Zoras?" Lydia wondered, shaking her head.

"I guess it's like you with your car," Gordon said. "Worst luck in the world."

Link's attention was suddenly diverted from the ice. "…..What's a car?" he asked them.

"It's a horribly expense traveling thing that gets you from here to there," Lydia scoffed. "Just when you think it's in great working order, it breaks and costs you tons of money to fix."

"If it's such an expensive animal," Link said, "why don't you just get rid of it?"

Lydia shook her head. "I'll explain cars to you later, okay?"

"Well," Gordon broke in, "what's our next stop?"

Link, with his mind still on that expensive traveling animal Lydia talked about, said, "Um... the Kokiri Forest."

***

"This place looks the same," Lydia said, "except the fact that there are _monsters_ everywhere!!"

Link drew his sword and looked around his hometown. No Kokiris could be seen. Monsters were scattered throughout town. He charged forward without a word and slashed the stem of an overlarge Deku Baba.

Lydia sighed heavily. "I'll bet there's no place untouched," she said. "Ganon's gonna get several more spells shoved up his—"

"Dammit!" Link shouted suddenly. "Where is everybody?" He quickly pulled out his shield and deflected a Deku Scrub's attack.

"That's a good question," Gordon muttered. "Where are all the Kokiri?"

Lydia looked around. Besides several monsters and a blond guy with a sword running around, there was nothing in the Kokiri Forest. It was totally dead.

She turned to Gordon to say something, but he had wandered off and was now entering one of the treehouses. Lydia followed him in, followed closely by relief. Inside were a couple of Kokiri kids. They were staring curiously at the visitors.

"Who are you?" a girl Kokiri asked. "How did you get past the baddies outside?"

"Oh...we're...um...," Lydia didn't really know how to answer. She didn't think 'weirdoes-from-another-dimension' would go over too well.

"We're sorcerers from Earth," Gordon said to her.

Oh, like that's any better? Lydia thought bitterly.

The girl turned to the other girl sitting by her. "You hear that? They can use magic!"

"We're looking for some ugly creep named Ganondorf," Lydia added. "Dark skin, red hair, about six feet, and a nose the size of a banana. Have you seen him?"

The two Kokiri girls suddenly shivered and huddled close together. "Please don't say that name!" one requested with a quivering voice.

"The Evil King is not to be discussed in the forest," the other one said with fear in her voice. "He has brought chaos to Hyrule."

"We know," Lydia sighed. "Believe me, we know all about it. We've seen some of it already."

"Has anyone done anything about _anything_ yet?" Gordon asked the girls.

"Oh, no," the first one said. "No one would stand a chance against the Evil King. The legends say that we must wait for the Hero of Time to descend from the sacred realm to once again purify our world."

Right on cue, Link walked in breathlessly and said, "Oh there you two are. I think I got all of the critters out there." His tired face brightened when he saw the Kokiri girls. "Hey, alright! There are still Kokiri here!"

The second girl suddenly looked up. "Hey," she asked the first girl, "does that tall guy look familiar to you?"

Link looked very puzzled suddenly. "You mean you two don't recognize me?"

"You look terribly familiar," the first girl said. 

"This, girls," Lydia said, "is the Hero of Time. We're traveling with him to save Hyrule."

The two Kokiri suddenly jumped up with excitement.

Link wasn't excited, though. "You two really don't remember me?" he asked again.

The second girl walked closer. "Give us a hint," she said.

Link thought for a second and said, "Well, I was the only kid without a fairy."

The two girls shouted "I knew it!" in unison. 

"You're Link!" the first girl shouted.

"Where have you BEEN all these years?" the other asked.

"And how'd you get so big?!"

Link leaned against the door frame. "Well," he said, "it's a rather long story."

"Link," the first girl asked, "are you really the Hero of Time??"

"Uh-huh."

The second girl dragged the first toward the door. "Come on!" she shouted. "We need to tell everybody!" And with that, they dashed outside.

Lydia joined Link at the door. "Why didn't they recognize you?" she asked.

"I've grown up," he replied. "Kokiri don't grow up. Hylians do."

"They don't know you're a Hylian?" Gordon asked.

"Nah," said Link. "I was raised as a Kokiri, so they all know me as the weird kid without a fairy."

"Now that you mention Navi," Lydia suddenly wondered, "where is she?"

They suddenly heard the Kokiri girls scream. Link looked outside quickly. "Oh, crap!" he shouted. "I missed one!" Without another word, he drew his sword and ran out the door.

Gordon moved next to Lydia. "That was unusually decent of you," he said.

Lydia pretended to look puzzled. "What do you mean by that?"

"I know that you couldn't care less if you see Navi again or not. You just want to be nice."  
  
Lydia chuckled and said, "Man, can you see right through me or what?"

"After living with you for thirteen years, I can see through you like glass."

"Not clearly enough, though. I actually do care. Well, I care a _little_."

Gordon laughed. "No, you don't."

Lydia stuck her tongue out and escaped out the door as soon as she realized she was losing the argument. She spotted the Kokiri girls crouched on the ground nearby. Link was standing in front of them, trying to calm them down. He was still holding his sword.

Gordon walked up to him and gazed at the trembling girls. "Are they okay?"

"Yeah," Link replied. "They're fine. A Deku Baba had been hiding in the bushes and jumped them. They're not hurt, though."

"That's good."

Link sheathed his sword and looked at Lydia. "No, I haven't seen Navi," he said, answering her earlier question. "And I know you're only pretending to care."

Lydia crossed her arms. "Honestly, you two. Is that how low you think of me?"

"Yes," they both replied.

Lydia rolled her eyes and bent down to the frightened girls. "How are you two holding out?"

One of them managed to speak. "You see what the Evil King has done?"

"I know, I know." Lydia stood up and added, "Don't worry. As soon as I find him, he's gonna get a fireball in the—"

Link covered her mouth quickly. "Don't say it! They're kids!"

Lydia shooed his hand away. "I wasn't going to say—"

"_Watch it_."

".....All right, sorry."

Gordon shook his head and looked at the Kokiri. "We can't stay long," he told them. "But don't worry, we'll come back, okay?"

The girls nodded their heads. "We'll tell Mido you were here."

Link scowled and looked away when they said that name. That reaction didn't escape Lydia.

"Who's Mido?" she asked him.

"I'll tell you later," he muttered.

"Okay, fine. Looks like we have a deal to make."  
  
"Huh?"

"If you tell me who Mido is, I'll tell you what cars are."

"Deal."

"Come on, you two, that can wait." Gordon said. "Let's move on to the next place."

"Hmm..." Link thought a bit. "Lake Hylia is our next stop."

***

Link and Gordon fearfully backed away from Lydia. She looked like she was ready to fire a Dragon Slave at the first one to speak to her.

"The market made me upset," she muttered sternly. "The Kokiri Forest made me angry. But this _really_ puts the sauce on the taco."

She angrily looked around her again. Lake Hylia, her favorite place in all of Hyrule, was in a sorry state. The beautiful lake water was almost completely gone. All that was left was a pathetic excuse for a deep mud puddle at the bottom. Crows zoomed around overhead and there were several blue Tektites running around.

Gordon cautiously crept up from behind and reached out to tap her shoulder. Link quickly seized his wrist and mouthed a warning.

"If you don't want to die," he whispered, "don't touch her or talk to her right now."

"No, no," Lydia said quickly. "Talk to me, quickly. Hurry and talk me out of blasting Northern Hyrule to pieces before I actually do it."

Link braved the situation and jumped in front of her. He pointed a threatening finger in her face and said, "Don't you _dare_. Hyrule's in bad enough shape. You can blast stuff tomorrow. Not today."

The sheer anger slowly melted away from Lydia's eyes. "Sorry," she said, "I always say stuff like that when I get really mad."

Gordon sighed and put his arms behind his head. "You say a LOT of stuff when you get mad. This is nothing new."

"How often do I threaten to blow up a large chunk of land? _That's_ how mad I am right now."

Link stared toward the hole that was supposed to be Lake Hylia. "This _is_ a pretty bad sight," he said, "and I know this is your favorite spot. Just don't fire any Dragon Slaves for a while, okay?"

"Get me out of here and it won't happen."

"Then let's do just that," Gordon said. "Let's move on. What's next?"

"The Gerudo Valley," Link replied. "But if we go there, I can't really tell you if anything has been changed. I've never been in there."

"Why not?" Lydia asked.

"The Gerudo are a race of female thieves. The valley is their fortress hideout. No one, and I mean no one, is allowed in there. These women are really mean."

"If the women are that mean, I can't imagine what the men are like."

"Um...there _are_ no men."

Lydia's eyebrows twisted in confusion. "You....You mean the entire Gerudo race is female?"

"Yeah."

"_How_ is that even scientifically _possible_??"

"I don't know, I don't know," Link answered quickly, waving his hands. "But don't bother trying to figure out how it works. I tried that once and gave myself a headache." 

"No men whatsoever. That makes no sense to me."

"Well, actually, one man is born every 100 years. And the Gerudo laws say that the lone male Gerudo must become their leader."

"Then there should be one male Gerudo amongst all those women," Gordon suggested. "Do you know who he is?"

"Yes. His name is Ganondorf Dragmire."

Lydia jerked alert. "You mean _our_ Ganondorf? The creep that did this to my lake?"

"Uh-huh. That's our man."

"Yeah," Gordon said thoughtfully. "I was sorta thinking about him. He's not a Goron, Zora, or Kokiri, but he doesn't look Hylian either. I was wondering where he came from."

"He's the lone male Gerudo, the leader of the entire race."

Lydia absently scratched behind her ear. "I find that strangely fitting, and I don't like it."

Off to the west, the sun was beginning to set. Gordon turned and squinted his eyes as he watched the sky turn red. "Wow...is it that late already?"

A mocking, even sarcastic smirk crawled across Link's face, and his eyes narrowed and turned to Lydia. "It doesn't help that someone sleeps so much."

"Watch it, Long Ears," she replied coldly with her eyes meeting his gaze. 

Link sighed loudly, then stretched his tired arms. "Let's head back. That way, we can go to bed early and start at a reasonable hour tomorrow."

The trio took off in flight back north to Kakariko Village, but not before Lydia leapt into the air and landed hard on Link's toes.

***

Ganondorf's going to be a serious problem for us, Lydia thought

She sighed and looked up at the dark sky over Kakariko village. Clouds were closing in fast. She could see most of the sky from where she was. She was stretched out on the grass with her head propped up against the tree. 

"Actually," she breathed to herself, "I'm a little scared. This guy has the freaking Triforce of Power, for God's sake. How are we going to defeat him? Sure, we're the 'team of bone-crushing heroes', but we're going to need something extra. Looks like I'm going to have to continue to work on my secret weapon..."

She yawned and looked at her watch. It was almost 11:30. She was too tired to think any more. She pulled herself up off the ground and headed back toward the house. When she got closer, she heard a lot of noise coming from inside the house. There was a lot of banging around and shouting. It sounded kinda like....a fight!

Lydia ran to the house and swung the door open, ready to break up a fierce battle. What she actually found was a rather humorous scene. Link was sprawled on the floor, with Gordon sitting on his back. He was twisting Link's arm back into a rather painful-looking position. Link was fiercely banging on the wooden floor with his free arm.

"I give up! I give up!" he kept shouting. "You win! Uncle! Uncle! Get off me!"

Gordon rolled off and stood up victoriously. "I told you not to mess with me. I wrestle like the pros."

Lydia started to laugh. "Do you guys realize what time it is? Get ready for bed, already."

Gordon proudly trodded off and started fluffing his blankets and pillow. Link walked toward Lydia and stood by her. 

Lydia tugged his ear. "What were you two _doing_? You were making a lot of noise."

Link pulled her hair and said "The kid wanted a little wrestling match."

"Cocky little guy, isn't he?"

"But he doesn't fight fair. He's really squirmy so you can't get a good hold on him, and he _bites_. I got him in a hold and he bit my arm. Does he do this stuff with you?"

"Oh yeah, all the time."

"How do you put up with it?"

"My friend, it takes _years_ of experience." 


	5. Chapter 5

**_Worlds Apart  
Part II  
By Miss Lydia_******

**Chapter 5**

"Get UP already!!"

The voice jolted Lydia out of her dreamland rather abruptly. Link was shouting in her ear. 

"The way you sleep weirds me out!" Link continued. "You may as well just DIE and save yourself the trouble of waking up in the morning!"

Lydia sat up stiffly. "Didn't I tell you to quit harping on my sleeping habits?"

"I can't help myself. It's nearly eleven o'clock. This is too much."

"We were up late, man."

"Midnight isn't _that_ late."

"Quiet, Long Ears. I'll sleep as long as I want to."

A pillow flew from across the room and hit Link's head. Gordon's voice followed.

"Honestly, you two. Fighting first thing in the morning," he said. 

Lydia threw the pillow back and rolled out of bed, playfully shoving Link out of the way. She stumbled over to the window and opened the shutters. The sunlight glimmered through small holes in the gray clouds overhead. 'Yuck' was the first word to enter her head.

She yawned loudly and asked, "So, guys, what's our plan of action today?"

Gordon sat on his bed. "I was thinking about that last night," he said. "Everyone in Hyrule needs our help. But we obviously can't do it all at once. So there's the factor of who needs our help more badly."

Link joined in. "You mean who we need to help first, or who's in the most trouble. I see. We need to do things in the most effective order possible."

Lydia sat in the chair by the window. "I get it. Like, you mean that we should fix the Kokiri Forest before Lake Hylia, because the Forest holds dozens of endangered Kokiri, while no one really lives at the lake." An extra thought quickly forced its way in. 

"Right," Gordon said. "I was thinking we should go to Zora's Domain first. And Goron City, too. See, we know that the Kokiri are okay for the time being. We saw that yesterday. But all the Zoras are missing again. Remember what happened the last time they were missing?" 

"Yeah, I do," Lydia sighed heavily. "We found them in that horrible Ice Cavern, nearly frozen to death."

"The Domain was in horrible shape, too," Link added. "No water. The water's there this time, but it's totally frozen." 

"We need to go there first. We need to know if they're still alive."

"Not to make the mood worse, but I don't think _anything_ could survive in a frozen place like that."

"I wonder if the Gorons met a similar fate..."

"Then let's not waste time," Gordon suggested. "Let's get moving now." 

***

"Even though we've already seen this," Gordon whispered, "it's still upsetting."

Everyone was standing just inside the entrance of the frozen domain, looking it over again.

"Yeah," Link agreed. 

"Is that ice really totally solid?" Lydia wondered. "Is there any water down there at ALL?"

Link walked forward and jumped down from the path to the ice, landing hard. He stamped the ice with his foot a couple times, then bent over and looked through it.

"Yeah," he finally shouted. "Solid as a rock all the way down."

Lydia and Gordon jumped down after him and looked down. It was ice all the way to the bottom. There wasn't any liquid water anywhere.

"Man," Lydia scoffed. "This place is always in such rotten shape. Every time I leave our peaceful little house in Kakariko, I end up hating Ganondorf even more."

Link straightened up. "We should go check out that Ice Cavern again. We need to find the Zoras, if they're still around anywhere."

"Yeah, let's get moving," Gordon said.

They started to walk, slip, and slide across the ice toward solid land that would take them to King Zora's room. When they neared the middle of the ice sheet, Link suddenly stopped dead in his tracks.

Lydia turned around and asked, "Link? What are you doing?" 

Link slowly reached up and gripped the Master Sword's hilt. "...Something's wrong."

"What?" Gordon asked.

Link glanced from side to side as he spoke. "Something isn't right. There's something else here." He took a few steps backward, still looking around nervously.

Lydia followed him. "Are you sure? I don't hear anything."

Link slowly shook his head, still looking around. He suddenly stiffened and pulled his sword and shield out. "Something's definitely here!"

Lydia was about to call him crazy when a blast of wind shot through Zora's Domain. Several clouds of smoke appeared around them. Gordon turned and got into spell-firing position. They watched as the clouds of smoke quickly materialized into very tall skeleton monsters. Each one wore ripped clothes and had a jagged sword and shield of its own. 

Lydia backed up against Link as more clouds of smoke appeared behind the skeleton monsters. Those clouds also became skeletons. Very soon, there were dozens of these creatures surrounding them.

"Look at this!" Link suddenly shouted. "Ganondorf's already trying to stop us!"

"What are they?" Lydia asked as she listened to the monsters moan and groan to each other.

"Stalfos. They're really tough monsters. I beat one when I was a kid, and that was really hard. Now there are dozens of them! We really have our work cut out for us this time."

"Ganon must be up to something again," Gordon suggested.

"Gee, ya think?" Lydia retorted. "What more could he possibly want? He's already done his damage to this poor place!"

"We'll figure that out later!" Link shouted as the Stalfos began to approach. "We need to survive this first!"

"Let's go then!" Gordon shouted. 

Link was the first to charge. "**Blade Haut!**" He brought his sword down to the ice hard and the tremor of energy sailed toward a group of Stalfos. The spell was a lot bigger and stronger than what his old Kokiri sword had ever produced.

When the Stalfos began to scatter away from the advancing energy, Link suddenly shouted. "_Break!!"_ The tremor split and fanned out, hitting several of the Stalfos at once. Just as Link was enjoying this small victory, a Stalfos snuck up from behind and got a cheap shot in. Link staggered forward and turned to fight.

Gordon whirled around to another group of the monsters. "**Gaav Flare!**" The spell shot right through the Stalfos in front, then continued and hit every one behind it. The monsters fell like dominoes.

Lydia ran forward after picking her own group of prey. She wasn't known for being the most graceful person in either world, so she slipped on the ice and fell within seconds. She reached down and rubbed her sore behind as the group of Stalfos moved forward. When they got close, Lydia, half ignoring them anyway, threw her hand out rather carelessly. "**Fireball,**" she gruffed plainly. The Stalfos tried to run, but were blown away.

They weren't done yet, however. Lydia carefully stood up and watched the group of Stalfos she just attacked stagger to their bony feet again and begin to advance.

Lydia smirked. "So," she said with a cocky tone, "you guys don't fall to fire that easily, huh?" She slid her way closer to the group until she was in close range. "Then I'll have to hit you from underneath, won't I?" 

The Stalfos grunted and moaned, almost in reply. One of them raised its sword and advanced quickly. Lydia's simply chuckled at it. "Not fast enough, pal! **Explosion Array!!**" 

The ice broke apart from under the group of Stalfos and exploded, sending all of them flying.

"Ooh! That was fun!" Lydia laughed. "I need to use that spell more! Where are some more skeletons??" With that, she ran off, sliding all the way, toward more monsters. 

Gordon picked his next group of victims and ran toward them, casting a spell the whole way. 

"Source of all souls which dwell in eternal and infinite. Everlasting flame of blue, let the power hidden in my soul be called forth from the Infinite!"

He dropped to the ground and slid on his hind end right into the group of Stalfos, moving his head from side to side to avoid getting introduced to the bad end of one of their swords. When he finally came to a stop, he was sitting right smack in the middle of the Stalfos, and they were closing in fast. 

"**Rah TILT!**"

The powerful spell spread out from where Gordon was seated on the ice and enveloped every Stalfos in a 30-foot radius. They all shrieked and disappeared. When the spell finally faded away, Gordon was already on his feet, brushing the ice off of his jeans. 

The sound of sword-against-sword was coming from Link's end of the battle. He had busied himself with taking down the Stalfos one by one. He put his shield to good use as he worked on killing the last one in his area. 

The Stalfos struck, but Link rolled to one side to dodge the attack. "**Astral Vine!**" The Master Sword glowed more brilliantly and with more power than his Kokiri Sword used to as Link stood again and slashed at the monster. The Stalfos tried to block the vicious attack, but its shield only shattered under the power of the Master Sword. The creature fell quickly.

Link sighed with relief and sheathed his sword. "I'm done!" he called.

"Me, too!" he heard Gordon call back.

They listened for Lydia's call, but only heard "**Explosion Array! Explosion Array!**" They looked toward where the explosions were coming from, and watched Lydia finish off the last of the Stalfos with a spell Link hadn't seen before. The Stalfos flew around and landed on the ice hard, failing to get up.

When she finally stopped, Link conjured up the courage to approach her with highest hopes that she wouldn't blast him too.

"Hey," he asked, "what's that spell you're playing with?"

"The Explosion Array," Lydia replied energetically. "It's my new toy. Wanna see it up close sometime?"

Link knew what she had in mind. "No thanks," he declined quickly. 

Gordon appeared behind them and looked at the fallen Stalfos all over the place. "You didn't kill them," he said. "You only scattered them about."  
  
Lydia stood defiantly. "The Explosion Array isn't enough to kill. It doesn't even do a lot of damage. It's for weakening the enemy. But it's just a lot of fun to cast!"

"You found that battle fun?"  
  
"Of course. Anything can be fun when you add the Explosion Array."

"Whatever," Gordon retorted plainly. He snapped his fingers toward the fallen Stalfos. "**Rah Tilt.**" 

They squinted their eyes as the bright white light surrounded the half-dead monsters. Lydia put her hands on her hips when the monsters vanished.

"Aww, you're no fun," she snapped. "I wanted to finish them off. You had you own to kill."

Gordon sighed heavily. "Then don't waste your time and effort next time. Let's just keep moving." As he walked past Link, he leaned up toward his ear. "Can you believe I'm related to her?" he whispered.

Link laughed softly and followed, leaving Lydia standing there with diminishing pride.

"Hey, you guys!" she called as she began to run, "Who do you think you are, leaving me behind?"

She slipped quickly and fell into Link, knocking him onto his stomach. Gordon started to laugh.

"Geez," he laughed, "We need to get you some spiked shoes or something."

Lydia sat up on Link's shield and glared at Gordon with an evil eye.

Link quickly started to groan and complain. "Ow! Get off my back, will you?"

Lydia slid off quickly. "I'm not that heavy," she grunted. "Don't exaggerate."

"No, it's just that—" Link winced as he sat up. 

Lydia slid next to him and yanked off his sword and shield. She found a long slash wound staring her in the face. She shook her head and chuckled softly. "You can't do anything without getting yourself hurt, can you?"

"Hey, I'm not invincible," Link replied shamefully. "Besides, it was a lucky shot."  
  
"Oh, come off it," Lydia replied as she began to heal the cut.

"Leave him alone, girl," Gordon scorned. "I'm surprised, as careless as you are, that you're not in three pieces."

Link looked over his shoulder, giving Lydia a look that asked for an apology. Lydia figured she'd done enough damage and had better not disappoint him.

"......Sorry," she said quietly. "I didn't really mean anything."

"I know," Link laughed. "You're just being yourself."

Lydia's face twisted. "Are you saying I'm a mean old witch all the time?"

Link refused to say anything more. He figured it was safer that way. Lydia moaned and finished healing Link's back.

"There," she finally said. "All done. But now you've got a rather large hole in your tunic. I'll have to fix that when we get home."

Link was about to thank her when Gordon started to laugh. 

"You?" he howled. "You couldn't sew if you're life depended on it."

Lydia scoffed loudly. "I can sew this back together! It's just a simple hole."

"Don't let her, Link," Gordon warned, still laughing. "Your shirt will never be the same again."

"Don't worry," Link laughed. "I've got a few spares."

Lydia jumped to her feet with her teeth chattering with anger. "Do you guys really have that little confidence in me?"

The boys stopped laughing immediately. Link quickly started to crawl away. "Bad move," he muttered to Gordon. "We made her mad..."

"**Explosion Array**!"

***

Lydia shivered as she walked across Zora's Fountain. "Damn," she muttered, "This is frozen, too."

Link and Gordon trailed behind, brushing dust off of their clothes. "Did you have to blow us up?" Link asked her as he examined a new hole in his shirt.

Lydia ignored him. "Looks like the fountain is frozen all the way down, too."

Gordon followed her gaze. "Did you expect something else?"

Link shook his head. "Looks like we're faced with that 'Hyrule will dry up' problem again."

"Compared to what Ganondorf will do," Gordon said, "that isn't much of a problem at all."

"Maybe," she said as she removed the Sorcerer's Rune from around her neck, "I can do the same thing I did last time."

She reared her arm and chucked the Rune toward the center of the ice sheet. It bounced twice before coming to rest. It started to glow brightly and shoot out rays of light that illuminated the dark sky.

"Bingo!" Lydia shouted.

"All right!" Gordon shouted with excitement. 

The excitement fell quickly. The energy emitted by the Rune had faded. They could now see the fountain again through the light. 

"It....didn't work...?" Gordon stuttered.

The fountain was still frozen. The Rune's power had no effect.

Lydia repeatedly stamped her foot in anger. "DAMN! Damn damn damn DAMN!"

"Why didn't it work?" Link wondered.

"Arrghh! I don't KNOW! Damn damn DAMMIT!"

"Hey," Gordon said, "calm down a little bit, okay?"

Lydia sighed and unballed her fists, silently counting to ten.

"Don't lose hope yet," Gordon continued. "We still need to check the Ice Cavern."

Link grabbed hold of Lydia's shoulders and started to push her toward the Cavern. "Let's go before Lydia explodes."

Lydia broke out of Link's grasp suddenly. "Hang on, I need to get my rune." With that, she walked to the edge of the fountain. She raised her right arm and concentrated hard. On the ice sheet, the Rune trembled, then rocketed through the air and slammed into the palm of her hand. She winced, shook her sore hand, and slid the chain back around her neck.

Gordon sighed. "You know," he said, "If Ganondorf has any intelligence at all, he'd better stop messing around with Hyrule, or..."

"Or Lydia will tear him to pieces, then grind each piece into the ground," Link finished. "I've never known someone to get so violent when angry."

Lydia turned to the boys and shouted "I'm going in! You two follow! **Levitation!**"

"Well," Link said as he watched Lydia hover to the high entrance of the Cavern, "let's not waste any more time."

Gordon took hold of Link's arm. "**Levitation!**"

"Still as cold in here as always," Link muttered.

"I swear it's colder in here than it was last time," Lydia insisted through clattering teeth.

"Must be because the domain is frozen," Gordon suggested. "It's made this place colder than usual."

"That's typical," Lydia grunted through her teeth. "Well, the sooner we get going, the sooner we can leave."

All three started moving through the Cavern. Traveling in there was a little easier than it was the first time they had visited. They went to the cavern the last time the sorcerers were in Hyrule, so this was familiar territory.

They passed through the big room with the high ceiling. Lydia looked up where Ganondorf's ball of magic had been the first time they were there. Nothing was up there this time. 

After several minutes of walking (rather, slipping around, in Lydia's case), they reached a room they had been in before, but something was different. Bluish-black bats were flying around, trailing icy air behind them.

"Oh damn....," Link muttered, "Ice Keese."

"I don't remember those being in here before," Lydia said.

"They weren't. Must be a new addition of Ganondorf's."

"They look pretty easy to kill, though," Gordon suggested.

Link shook his head slightly. "Never underestimate a Keese. Sure, they can be killed by one arrow, but they're fast, and incredibly annoying. I've never messed with an Ice Keese before, just the regular ones. I've heard that they can freeze their enemy in a block of ice."

"Yikes, that sucks," Gordon scoffed.

"It supposedly doesn't last long, though. That's the weakness of their attack. Let's just kill them before they get the chance to attack us."

"If they're Ice Keese," Lydia said, "that means they must be vulnerable to fire."

Gordon and Link backed up, seeing what was coming.

"You said they could be taken down by one arrow," Lydia continued, "so that's what they're gonna get!" 

She raised her arms as if she was holding a bow and arrow. She then aimed herself at one of the bats and shouted, "**Flare Arrow!**" The Ice Keese squeaked and fell to the ground before disappearing.

Lydia turned around so the boys could see her patting herself on the back, just in time to see two Ice Keese flying up behind them.

"Guys! Heads up!" she warned a little too late.

The Keese rammed themselves into the boys' backs, freezing them each in a large block of ice.

"Dammit!" Lydia cursed at the Keese, who were flying away. "**Flare Arrow! Flare Arrow!**" Both of the Keese squeaked and fell. 

Lydia turned to free the boys, but saw the blocks of ice fall apart around them, letting them both fall to their knees.

Link stood quickly and whipped out his bow. "See why I hate Keese?" he asked angrily. He aimed an arrow with incredible precision and let it fly. The arrow zoomed away and hit the last Keese, who was clear across the room.

Lydia blinked a couple of times and said, "....Wow. Nice shot!"

Gordon stood up shivering and said, "I see why you say Keese are so annoying."

"Forget 'em," Lydia said. "They're gone. Let's keep moving."

The three travelers eventually made it to the room that had once held the imprisoned Zoras. To everyone's disappointment and anger, there were no Zoras here. The room wasn't unoccupied, however. It was full of Ice Keese. There were so many that the ceiling seemed to move. They all stayed in the doorway to avoid being spotted by the swarm. 

"Well, I'm officially pissed," Lydia growled quietly.

"Look at 'em all!" Link whispered.

"Well, we've come all this way…." Gordon said.

"Let's toast the flying mice, then, before we go."

Link and Lydia backtracked just outside the room, while Gordon prepared a spell. A red ball of flames appeared between his hands.

"**Fire...BALL!**"

He rolled the fireball into the Keese-filled room like a bowling ball until it reached the center. "Break!" he suddenly shouted. The fireball exploded, destroying every Keese in the room. Everyone shielded their face from the heat as the fireball faded.

Gordon turned around to grin as Link commented on what a cool move that was. The victory didn't last very long, however. Gordon watched as Link and Lydia's faces twisted into disbelief and fear. They were staring over Gordon's shoulder. 

"....What's wrong?" he asked them hesitantly.

Both of them weakly pointed behind him, toward the ceiling.

Gordon turned to look where they were pointing. Ice Keese were popping up out of nowhere. They were completely regenerating in greater numbers than before. When they finally stopped appearing, there were three times as many, and all of them were hovering near the ceiling, staring at the adventurers.

Lydia shrinked back a little. "Uh...oh...," she weakly whispered.

The Keese continued to hover near the ceiling with a stare that would scare a banshee. Suddenly, they left their spot at the ceiling and charged at top speed toward the trio. 

"GO!" Link shouted loudly. 

Everyone turned and ran away in the direction from which they had come. The Keese flooded out of the room and made chase, flying faster than normal, trailing ice behind them. The bats followed them through the large room, and didn't stop there. Link ducked his head as a Keese zoomed past his ear. Gordon ran to one side just as a Keese tried to ram itself into his back. Lydia concentrated on not slipping on the ice. If that happened, she'd be swallowed by the swarm of flying rodents.

They sprinted through the narrow hallways, with the Ice Keese at their heels. The bats were covering the walls and ceiling as they continued the chase. Finally, sunlight could be seen at the end of the passage. 

"We'll try to lose 'em here!" Lydia shouted. "They can't be too bright!"

The sorcerers each grabbed one of Link's arms as they continued to run. "**Ray Wing!**" The group gained speed in the flight through the long tunnel, and the Keese responded by gaining speed themselves. As the circle of sunlight grew larger, Lydia turned to Gordon and shouted instructions. 

"Gordon! Reach for the sky!" she yelled.

Gordon nodded bluntly with understanding.

The Keese gained incredible speed in trying to catch their prey. As the group flew toward the sunlight, Link glanced back. The bats grew closer with every second. They were practically biting at his toes. 

"Must go faster!" he shouted to the sorcerers.

"Almost there!" Gordon shouted back.

Finally, they broke into the sunlight. Gordon and Lydia veered straight up with incredible speed and flew vertically toward the sun. They stopped about fifty feet up and looked toward the cavern. The swarm of bats poured out of the opening, continuing to fly in a straight line. The group breathed heavily as they watched the bats fly off and disappear over the horizon. 

Lydia sighed with relief. "I knew they wouldn't be that smart," she said.

"That was really close," sighed Link.

"Did you see those things just appear out of nowhere?" Gordon asked them. "Ganondorf's trying really hard to get us out of the way."

"And we didn't find the Zoras," Lydia sighed. "Where could they be?"

"It's getting late," Link pointed out as the sun started to set. "Tomorrow we'll go see the Great Deku Tree in the forest. Maybe he knows something about the Zoras." 

"So that's tomorrow's plan," Gordon confirmed. "Now, I'm sure we're all tired and absolutely freezing, so let's go home for now."

With that, the sorcerers turned toward the sunset and flew off, with everyone looking forward to their warm beds.


	6. Chapter 6

**_Worlds Apart  
Part II  
By Miss Lydia_****__**

**Chapter 6**

"Where is it....? Where is it....?"

Lydia dug viciously through her enormous duffel bag, throwing clothing over her shoulder, looking for the only thing that could help her today. She sat on her bed by the window with the bag next to her.

"What ever possessed me," she asked herself, "to buy a bag so huge? I could fit a horse in here if I really tried."

As she continued to sift and feel her way through the bag, she glanced out the window. The sky was blue in some spots on that day. Link and Gordon were by the Bazaar on the north end of town. Link had his Master Sword unsheathed, and the boys were examining it closely. Lydia watched them talk with each other as she felt her way to the bottom of the bag. 

Finally, her fingertips reached the cold steel she was looking for. She pulled her hands out, along with her old sword that Zelda had given her to use seven years before. Fitting the sword into her bag in the first place was enough of a chore, and now it put up a fight coming out again. Lydia grunted and pulled feverishly on the hilt of the sword, trying to wrench it free from the tangle of shirts in the bag. The sword came loose suddenly, and Lydia rolled right off the bed, hitting the floor hard.

"Aahh...blast it...," she groaned quietly and she stood up again.

Lydia looked at the sword she had finally pulled free. It had been seven years since she had used it last. Ever since her sorcery powers were awakened, there was really no need for it. But now she needed the old thing more than ever.

She used her shirt to shine up the pearl-white handle and the long, thin blade. She held the blade up to her eye to see it if was still straight. She figured that if it was bent, she could just beat Link over the head with it until it straightened itself. Unfortunately for her, the sword was still as straight as an arrow. She muttered to herself in disappointment as she attached the sword's long sheath to the left side of her belt.

"The next few days are really going to be a pain," she said quietly. "And I'll bet the boys aren't going to leave me alone about it."

With that, she pulled open the door and walked semi-nervously outside.

***

"I have no idea where the power comes from," said Link thoughtfully.

Gordon let his eyes wander from one end of the Master Sword to another. "It's a fascinating thing, really," he said. "It's like something from the story books Mom read to me when I was young."

"This whole adventure of ours really _is_ like a fairy tale."

"A save-the-world quest with a magical sword and powerful sorcerers going to defeat the bad guy. Lydia's probably eating the whole thing up. She's always loved stories like that."

Link glanced toward central Kakariko in time to see the door of their house creak open and Lydia step out.

"Speak of the devil," he announced.

Lydia charged up the hill and met them. "Ready to go, guys?"

"Yeah," Link replied.

Gordon looked up at him and asked, "So, are we still going to the forest today?"

Link turned toward the south. "Yeah," he said. "The Deku Tree will probably have some information that will help us."

Gordon was about to nod in agreement when he noticed Lydia had her old sword with her. He found that very odd. She'd never pass up the use of a fireball for that sword.

"Why do you have that?" he asked her as he pointed toward her belt. 

Lydia blushed crimson red immediately. "Uh...um...," she stuttered quickly, "No reason. Just felt like bringing it."

Gordon decided to shrug the whole thing off, but Link wasn't that quick to give up.

"Oh, yeah right," Link said to her stiffly. "We know you better than that. There _is_ a reason you're bringing it."

Lydia stared at him, trying to control a horrible urge to tie his elf ears in a knot. "There's no special reason," she repeated bitterly through her teeth.

Link shrugged and decided to give up then, figuring it would be better for his health. 

The group trekked down the hill and started toward the entrance to Hyrule Field. Lydia kept her eyes to the sky as they left Kakariko behind. The sky seemed to be turning more brown and grayer by the minute. 

"Okay," said Gordon, "ready for take-off?"

He reached down and grabbed hold of Link's left arm. He was about to fly off when he felt Lydia grab hold of his free left arm. He glanced up at her with a puzzled look on his face.

"What?" he asked her. "I'm not carrying you. You can fly just fine on your own."

Lydia cleared her throat very loudly. "Gordon," she muttered angrily, "put the pieces together, man." She reached down and patted the hilt of her long sword and held his wrist more tightly.

"Oh...," Gordon finally said, nodding in understanding. "Sorry." 

Link shook his head. "I still don't get it. What's wrong?"

Lydia became very exasperated and threw her hands in the air. "Oh come _on_, Hero. Do I have to paint you a _picture_?"

He shrunk back slightly. "Sorry, but I guess I'm just not that bright."

Lydia, still frustrated, looked to the ground. "_Okay_, I'll be blunt with you," she grunted. "It's that time of the month. Got it? Now lay off."

This only confused Link even more. "What's so special about this time of the month?"

Gordon stepped back, feeling the tension rising.

Lydia raised an eyebrow curiously. "You know....._that time of the month_...? For girls?"

The confused Hylian only shook his head.

"You mean you don't know what that time of the month is??" Lydia asked him again.

"Well, don't forget, I kind of skipped puberty. There's a lot of stuff I don't know."

Lydia wasn't sure how to explain it quickly. "Well, let's just say that I won't be able to use any magic for the next few days. No attack spells – that's why I have my sword. And I can't fly, either."

"That's why you want me to fly you around," Gordon cut in. "Sorry, but I just can't carry both of you."

Lydia looked at him sharply. "Sure you can. You're strong enough."

"Well, I _could_, but the flight would be so slow with all that added weight that we'd be better off walking anyway."

"....Wait, are you calling me fat?" 

Link, who was still trying to figure out what Lydia meant by 'that time of the month', looked up. "You really can't use any of your magic?" he asked her.

"I probably won't be able to cast anything beyond a light spell for a few days," she replied. "Major pain in the butt, let me tell you that." 

"Well, until you can," Gordon suggested, "we need to find another way to get around."

Link gave up figuring this whole thing out for now and thought about their problem. His thoughts landed on Lon Lon Ranch and his friend Malon.

"I've got an idea," he said. "The ranch has several horses. Maybe Malon will lend us one."

"Who's Malon?" Lydia asked.

"She's a friend of mine who lives there. I wonder what she's like now? I haven't seen her in seven years."

"She has a horse?"

"When I saw her last, she had a little pony with her named Epona. That's her horse. The problem is that Epona is very wild-spirited. Only Malon was able to tame her."

Lydia scoffed softly. "This horse is completely wild and untamable to everyone except this girl Malon? That horse would do us absolutely no good."

"Well, there are actually two people that Epona will answer to. Malon, of course, and me."

"You?" Gordon asked.

"Malon taught me the song she always sang to her horse. Epona associates with that song, so Epona trusts me. Still, I doubt she'd remember me now. It's been seven years, after all." 

Lydia shrugged wistfully. "We'll never know just standing around here. Let's get going."

She jogged forward and was about to leap into the air to fly to the ranch, then got mad when she remembered why that wouldn't happen.

Gordon slapped her on the back as he walked by her. "Don't worry," he said happily, "it won't be _that_ bad. Plus, you'll be all right in a few days."

Lydia grunted loudly. "That's easy for you to say."

Without another word, she adjusted her belt and started after the boys, unhappy about the sorcery-less journey ahead. In the front of the traveling group, several fuses in Link's brain short-circuited as he tried to figure out what 'that time of the month' meant.

"Odd...," Link pondered. "I don't see Malon anywhere, or Talon, for that matter."

"Who's Talon?" Lydia asked him.

"Malon's dad."

Lydia chuckled softly. "Malon and Talon. How obnoxiously cute."

"_Anyway_," Gordon cut in, "do you think they're still here?"

Link looked around the ranch. It was unusually empty, save the five or six horses in the enclosure. "As long as I can remember," he finally said, "Malon's always been one to hang around by the horse enclosure, but there's no one there now."

"Do you think they're inside the house or something?" Lydia wondered.

Just then, the door to the barn on the north side of the ranch, just inside the entrance, snapped open. A rather stringy-looking man with horrible posture and a huge mustache stepped out. He looked like he had a lot of things on his mind and was running on a tight schedule. He almost didn't notice the three travelers in the ranch. When he finally saw them, he stopped abruptly and snorted at them.

"Who are you?" he grunted quickly and coldly. "What are you doing in my ranch?"

Link tilted his head slightly in questioning. "_Your_ ranch?" he asked the stringy man in a rather harsh tone. "Who are _you_, sir, and where's Talon? This was _his_ ranch, last time I checked."

Link's accusing and directed sentence caught Lydia and Gordon completely off guard. The Hylian had been almost _rude_ to the man. Lydia couldn't remember him being so bold toward someone before. She could only stare as Link's courageous eyes concentrated on the stranger. 

The skinny man snorted again and waved his pitchfork slightly. "I am the hardworking Ingo, the _new_ owner of this ranch, boy. That lazy slob Talon never did a thing for this ranch, so the great Ganondorf gave the ranch to _me_. It's a lot better off without that fat pig anyway."

Gordon watched as Link's face twisted to reveal nasty anger. Link was about to slam Ingo with a retort, or just a strong punch, when the skinny man interrupted him.

"Did you not hear me, boy?" Ingo grunted. "This is _my_ ranch. So you'd best be on your way. Now get out, the whole lotta you."

Without another word, Ingo turned and strolled defiantly toward the horse enclosure. Link didn't move until the man was lost from sight. When Ingo finally disappeared, Link punched the nearest wall.

"Arrggh! I hate that guy already, and I just met him!" the Hylian groaned loudly. 

Lydia put her hand on his shoulder. "Come on, you meanie. What did that poor wall ever do to you?" 

"I don't like him, either, Link," Gordon announced, "but let's have a look around. Maybe Malon and Talon are still here somewhere."

Link rubbed the sore knuckles of his left hand, already regretting having thrown that punch. Without a word, he opened the door Ingo had just come out of and stepped inside.

The three entered a small barn, where the horses and cows were held at night. A quick glance around the dusty room brought everyone's eyes to a figure near one of the cows. It was a tall girl with thick red hair. Link brightened up immediately, appearing to know her.

"Malon?" he called to the girl. "Is that you?" 

The startled girl straightened up quickly and looked toward the source of the voice. She looked at the travelers curiously.

"Oh?" the girl started. "This is a nice treat. We never get visitors."

She left her spot by the cow and approached Link, looking at him sternly. 

"May I ask you, sir," she asked Link. "How do you know my name? Do I know you from somewhere?"

Link took on the same face he had taken when the Kokiri didn't remember him. He wiped it away quickly and answered her.

"You mean you don't recognize me, Malon?" he asked her. "I'm Link, remember?"

Malon stared at Link for a few more seconds. Suddenly, her face brightened and a monster smile appeared on her face.

"I remember you now!" she shouted. "You're the fairy boy from the forest!"

She jumped up and grabbed Link around the neck. "Where have you _been_?" she continued. "It's been at least seven years since I saw you last!"

Link gently pried his neck out of her grip. "Well, it's a really long story. It's good to see you again, though."

Lydia smiled gently as she watched the ranch girl hop about in excitement. Gordon thought that this girl looked kind of crazy. She may even be a match for my sister, he thought to himself. 

Malon stopped jumping and glanced past Link at the two sorcerers behind him. "Who are they?" she asked.

Link turned his head to look at them, too. "These two are good friends of mine. Lydia and Gordon. They're sorcerers from Earth. We're going to try to free Hyrule from Ganondorf's grip."

Malon stiffened and shrunk away at the sound of the name. Her teeth began to chatter with anger. 

"That horrible man," she scorned. "He has changed everything. Hyrule is no longer as anyone remembers it. Even this ranch has been changed."

Link's eyes narrowed. "Yeah, I met that guy Ingo outside."

Malon's eyebrows were raised with apology. "I'm sorry, he was in a bad mood, wasn't he? That's my fault. I asked him if we could take the cows outside to get them some exercise and fresh grass, but he of course refused."

Gordon stepped forward. "That weird guy said he owned the ranch," he started, "but Link told us otherwise earlier."

"Yes," Malon confirmed, "the ranch belonged to my father, Talon. But Ganondorf came and banished Dad away, and gave ownership to Mr. Ingo. I'm grateful to him. He let me stay here, at least. As long as I keep that in mind, I don't mind all the work so much."

Link stood defiantly. "The man is working you on your own ranch?"

Malon shrugged slightly. "Yes, but I guess it's all I can do to repay him for letting me stay."

Link turned abruptly and pushed past the wondering sorcerers. "I'm going to have a word with this guy Ingo," he said angrily as he opened the door strongly. "Who does he think he is?" With that, he was gone. 

Lydia looked at her brother, then at Malon. "Wow. I've never seen him so determined before," she declared. 

"When he gets his mind set on something," said Malon, "he won't let go. He's always been like that."

"Yeah, I've noticed." 

Malon approached the sorcerers with a smile. "I'm sorry, I haven't introduced myself properly. Just the mention of the Evil King's name got my mind off you. I hope we can meet on happier terms later."

Gordon shrugged. "Us, too. It's all right, there's a lot going on."

"Besides," Lydia finished, "that may have to wait. Link's mad and we need to calm him down first."

Lydia turned and started toward the door, glancing at Gordon on the way out. "Come on, let's stop him before he does something stupid."

As the two sorcerers disappeared through the barn door, Malon took her place in the corner and continued to feed the cows. 

Lydia and Gordon reached the horse enclosure very quickly. This huge space took up most of the ranch land. It was a beautiful area full of green grass, and the horses had plenty of running room.

They spotted Ingo next to the gate of the enclosure, and they started heading that way. Link was standing in front of the stringy man, leaning forward slightly and waving his arms occasionally. He looked like he was expressing his opinion very strongly. Ingo didn't even seem phased by Link's unusually strong words. He just stood and stared at the Hylian as he continued to voice his anger. Link looked like he was really giving Ingo an earful. As soon as the sorcerers were within earshot, they saw that the situation was just that.

"How could you do that to her and Talon?" Link shouted. "Have you no heart at all?" 

Ingo laughed softly. "Talon never did anything and Malon only stood in this dumb enclosure and sung her stupid song day in and day out. _I _did all the work, boy."

"_Ha_!" Link retorted loudly. "It must be pretty bad work! This isn't my first visit to this ranch. I have seen how you treat the animals. You shouldn't be working here anyway if you're doing that."

"Those damn cows don't need exercise. And the horses are getting plenty."

"How so?? You keep them locked up all the time! When's the last time they've seen the other side of that fence?"

Ingo stared at Link with silent hatred. He appeared to be getting sick of Link's lecturing and accusations.

"You think these horses are in rotten condition, don't you, boy?" Ingo asked gruffly. "I'll prove you wrong, I will."

Link crossed his arms expectantly.

Lydia and Gordon looked on curiously, wondering what the man was going to do.

Ingo turned toward the locked enclosure. "Go in there," he said to Link, "and pick a horse. Ride it around for a while. Then you'll see for yourself if they're in good shape or not." Ingo turned back to Link and offered him his whip. 

Uh oh, Lydia thought suddenly. I doubt Link's ever ridden a horse in his life. He'll fall off in no time.

"Fine, I will," Link accepted proudly as he took the whip from the skinny man.

Lydia smacked her forehead with the ball of her hand as Link opened the rusty gate and walked into the fenced enclosure. The sorcerers walked up to the fence to get a better view of what was going on. 

Link stopped just inside and looked around. There were only three or four horses out, so he walked up to the nearest one and began to climb up to the saddle. He looked toward the back of the enclosure and stopped halfway up. He continued to stare in that direction, still poised a couple feet off of the ground.

Lydia and Gordon followed his gaze. Standing near the back fence was a very large reddish-brown horse with a black muzzle. It looked very well built, even from a distance. Equipped with a shiny saddle, that horse looked like the best one in the whole ranch.

The sorcerers watched as Link quickly hopped down from the horse he had picked and ran toward the red horse in the back. When he got close, the horse looked up and ran away. Lydia laughed under her breath, feeling almost embarrassed for him.

"He must feel rather stupid now," she said quietly.

Gordon kept watching. Lydia was wrong. Link actually looked rather pleased with himself, though Gordon couldn't figure out why.

They continued to watch as Link pulled out the Ocarina of Time and played a short, flowing song. When he stopped, the red horse suddenly reared up and raced back toward him. Link met the horse halfway and stroked its muzzle happily. He quickly climbed up and situated himself in the big saddle.

Oh boy, Lydia thought, It's the moment of shame. The poor guy won't be able to ride that thing.**__**

She was wrong again. With a kick of his legs and a crack of the whip, the red horse charged forward and galloped around the perimeter of the enclosure. Link waved at the sorcerers proudly as he passed them. 

Lydia couldn't believe what she was seeing already, but was completely flabbergasted when she saw Link crack the whip and successfully jump the large horse over the jumping fences in the enclosure. Gordon cheered happily and waved his arms as Link circled around and jumped the fences again. 

"Okay, that's enough!" Ingo's shrill voice suddenly broke into the excitement. 

Lydia looked at the man and scoffed loudly. It had only been a minute or two since he'd let Link in there. How selfish is this stingy guy going to get, she wondered angrily.

Link obediently steered the horse toward the gate and stopped it there, although he was very tempted to just run the skinny guy over. He was about to climb down when Ingo approached him.

"Now do you see, boy?" he asked shortly. "They're in fine condition, especially this one you're on. Would you like a further test of their fitness?"

Link, rather intrigued and curious, nodded.

"Okay then, boy," Ingo continued, "how about a little race? You and me, once around the corral. You can ride that horse, and I'll ride another."

Link flashed a slightly cocky smirk. "You're on, pal."

Lydia smacked her forehead again.

Within two minutes, Ingo had picked a horse and had met Link at their little starting line. The two men prepared their whips and sat ready in the saddle. Gordon sounded the call. 

"_GO!_" 

The two horses and riders charged away from the starting point with bursting speed, kicking up a ton of dust. Lydia and Gordon stood watching from where they had started. 

As the horses rounded the corner of the corral, it was impossible for Lydia or Gordon to tell who was in the lead, but when they could see them last, Link had a slight lead.

The sorcerers waited impatiently as the race worked its way around the perimeter of the enclosure. Gordon jumped with excitement as the horses rounded the corner and reappeared in view. However, his heart sank when he saw that Ingo had a lead by about two lengths. There would be no way Link could catch up before they hit the finish line.

Suddenly, Link cracked the whip on his horse and yelled wildly. The huge red horse charged forward with an incredible boost of speed and passed Ingo's horse just as the thundering hooves trampled over the finish line. The sorcerers jumped around and started cheering. Link had won the race! The excited Hylian threw his fists in the air and cheered for himself.

Ingo was raving mad.

"Arghh! How could I have lost??" he shouted loudly. "Kid! I want a rematch!"

"A _rematch_?" Link asked, not-so-politely. "I won, fair and square."

"If you win, you can keep...._the horse_!"

What a deal. Link smiled confidently and guided his horse back to the starting line, followed closely by the still raving Ingo. Gordon set them off again, and the horses charged away. 

Lydia caught a glimpse of Ingo as he sailed by her. He had a wild look in his eyes and was obviously very determined this time. Link was the same way, and kept his horse neck and neck with Ingo's. Gordon jittered around in anticipation as the racers disappeared around the corner.

When they reappeared on the other side, it was still very close. Ingo edged his horse forward, smacking it mercilessly. The horse loudly expressed its anger, but increased its speed.

"Oh no you _don't_...." Link muttered through his gritted teeth. "_Ya_!" 

The determined Hylian cracked the whip once and kicked his feet hard. The horse once again exhibited an almost unnatural boost of speed and left Ingo's horse in the dust. Link had won the rematch. The sorcerers were beside themselves with excitement.

*****__**

"Arrgghhh!!" Ingo shrieked. "What's up with that horse?!?!"

Link grinned confidently and stroked the horse's mane as he climbed down.

Lydia looked at the tall red horse. The horse that had run away from Link at first seemed to have really warmed up to him now. It kept nudging its head into Link's side affectionately, almost like it was asking for a reward, or just a little attention.

"How did you tame that wild horse under my nose??" Ingo continued. "I couldn't get that horse to do _anything_ right! It never listens to me!"

Link cleared his throat loudly. "I do believe we had a bet?" he asked expectantly. The horse lowered its head slightly and happily nipped at Link's ear with its big lips.

Ingo stamped his foot and backed out of the corral area. "Yes," he said, "As I promised, the horse belongs to you. However, I will not let you leave this ranch!"

Without another word, he took another step out and slammed the gates tight, locking them all inside.

Link shouted angrily and waved a fist.

Lydia reached up and gently pulled on Link's ear. "Forget it," she said, "there's bound to be another way out."

"There's no way out for you," Ingo reminded this shrilly. "At least...not with that horse."

Link laughed mockingly. "We'll see about _that_, won't we?" 

With that, he climbed back up on the massive animal and turned it around. With a kick of his legs, the horse charged away.

"Hey!" Lydia shouted after him. "Where are you going?"

Link didn't answer or even look back, instead, he began to build the horse's speed and steer it toward the south wall of Lon Lon Ranch.

"What does that crazy kid expect to do?" Ingo thought aloud.

Lydia leaned slightly down, leveling herself with her brother. "Does he expect to slam through that wall or something?" she asked.

Gordon didn't answer. He kept watching Link push the horse toward the wall, gaining speed every second. He had that horse going to fast that at this point there'd be no way he could avoid slamming that poor thing into the wall. Ingo's mocking laugh could be heard from the other side of the gate as he pictured what was about to happen.

But the scene Ingo thought would be rather humorous never happened. The astonished earthling sorcerers watched as Link cracked the whip hard, sending the horse into a high jump. To everyone's, including Ingo's, disbelief, the Hylian and the horse cleared the wall and disappeared over the other side. They stood frozen in place until the sound of beating hooves faded and vanished.

Lydia and Gordon slowly turned to look at each other. When their eyes met, they suddenly broke the silence with loud and uncontrollable laughter and dropped to their knees.

"_Waaaahhhhh!!!_" Ingo shrieked angrily.

Lydia rolled over on the ground to look at the man behind the closed gate. "Oh, man, did you deserve _that_!" she shouted through the fit of laughter she was having trouble controlling. "Boy, did he rub your nose in the dirt!"

Ingo started yelling profanity and began to pull at his hair, ripping out a good chunk of it. This only made the sorcerers laugh even harder.

The insanity continued until Gordon stopped laughing long enough to grab hold of his sister's wrist and take off over the wall Link had just cleared. Lydia, still laughing, glanced back as they flew over. Ingo was hopping up and down, still yelling and screaming. 

_That guy deserves a fireball_, she thought bitterly. 

Lydia looked again in time to see Malon appear behind the eccentric Ingo. She was waving happily as they flew back out to the field.**__**

****

Link climbed off of the horse's back and began to rub its mane and pat its neck. 

"Good job," he said to it calmly. "That's a good girl."

The horse stamped one of its hooves and nudged its head under Link's chin happily.

Link looked back to the ranch just in time to see the two sorcerers zoom over the wall. When they got close enough, he saw Gordon raise his free fist in the air. Lydia waved to him with her free arm.

"_Whoo-hooo!!_" they both shouted happily.

Link laughed and waved back as they landed in front of him. Lydia released her brother's wrist and jumped on Link's back, unable to control her excitement.

"Oh _man_, Link," Gordon laughed hard, "You sure showed him. That jump was _so _awesome!"

Link laughed as he carefully pried Lydia's arms off of his neck. 

"Okay, Link," Lydia said, "I'll admit, that was _really_ cool. But, there's just one thing I don't get."

"What's that?" Link asked her.

"Ingo was raving something about not being able to tame this horse. And yet, the horse came right to you when you played that Ocarina of yours, and it seems very friendly with you."

"It was like the horse recognized that little song," Gordon cut in. 

"Hey....," Lydia said thoughtfully. "This horse wouldn't happen to be.....?"

The Hylian stroked the mane of the magnificent horse and smiled proudly.

"Lydia and Gordon," he said, "I'd like you to meet Epona." 


	7. Chapter 7

**_Worlds Apart  
Part II  
By Miss Lydia_****__**

**Chapter 7**

The trees and bushes of Hyrule Field passed by in a blur. Lydia smiled, enjoying the feeling of the wind whipping through her long brown hair. 

Epona thundered across the landscape, digging her massive hooves into the soft ground. The fact that she was now carrying two riders didn't affect her speed at all. Link had positioned himself in the horse's saddle, and Lydia sat close behind him. Gordon flew alongside the powerful animal as it ran.

Link looked over his shoulder at the sorceress. "Well, one good thing comes out of traveling this way."

"What's that?" Lydia asked.

"I'm not in danger of a certain sorceress I know dragging me through a tree."

"Watch it, or a certain sorceress you know may 'accidentally' do it again."

Link laughed heartily and turned his gaze back to the front. He directed his new horse toward the Kokiri Forest, where they would talk to the Deku Tree. Link sincerely hoped that the Tree knew something about the Zora's disappearance, or _anything_ for that matter. The Hylian frowned as he continuously wished that they knew of Princess Zelda's whereabouts. She'd know what we should do next, he thought. She always knew what to do.

When the travelers reached the entrance to the forest, Epona stopped there, refusing to go inside. Link swung his leg over and climbed down to the ground. Lydia followed, but after catching her heel in the stirrup, she fell and landed hard on her back. Epona turned her head and neighed happily, but with a certain mocking tone.

Lydia lifted her head off the ground as Link bent over to pull her up. "Oh, you think that's funny, don't you?" she scoffed at the horse. "You just wait until I get my magic back,"

"Now, now....," Link scolded softly.

Lydia shrugged and started past the horse. As she walked by her head, Epona nudged her hard in the back, making her stagger forward slightly.

She whirled around and stared into the horse's dark eyes. "Hey, you!" she started, pointing a long finger.

"Easy," Link warned. "Epona is just trying to make the peace. That's her way of being friendly. She wants to be friends with you."

The sorceress smiled and stroked the horse's face. "Okay," she said to Epona, "but if you ever fall down, I'll laugh at you, too, okay?"

Epona tilted her head forward and used her lips to nip Lydia's nose.

"Ugh…," Lydia groaned, rubbing her nose with her sleeve. "Horse slobber."

"See?" Link asked, trying not to laugh. "Friends."

Gordon appeared behind her and glanced at the horse, then at Link. "Are you going to just leave her here?"

"Yeah," Link replied. "She'll be fine." He reached up and patted the Epona's neck.

Lydia turned slowly and started into the forest. The two boys followed close behind, hoping to find some good news at the other end of the tunnel.

That good news never came. As the trio set foot into the forest, Link stopped abruptly, then jumped back about three feet, pushing the sorcerers back into the tunnel. Just then, an overlarge Deku Baba snapped its jaws where they had been standing. It all happened so fast that the sorcerers almost didn't see it.

"Good Lord!" Gordon cried.

Link kept the two sorcerers in the tunnel, just out of the Deku Baba's reach. The enormous thing was repeatedly snapping its jaws, trying to eat the three travelers for lunch. This wasn't an ordinary Deku Baba, however. It was _huge_. When it rose to its full height, it towered over the adventurers, standing at about ten feet.

"For the love of Nayru!" Link bellowed. "Look at the _size_ of this thing!"

Link drew his sword and edged forward, but had to quickly jump back into the tunnel to avoid the vicious jaws.

"Here!" Gordon shouted quickly. "If you want to do it that way, let me get you started."

He stepped out in front, inches from the snapping animal. He fiercely pointed his finger at its head. "**Inferno Array!!**"

Several balls of light appeared around the Deku Baba and exploded. The monster hissed loudly as a huge cloud of black smoke enveloped it, preventing it from seeing anything. 

Link held his sword at his side and noiselessly charged into the ball of smoke, disappearing from view. Seconds later, a loud slashing sound cut through the smoke screen, and then there was silence. As the smoke slowly cleared, two figures came into view. The Deku Baba was on the ground, its stem slashed in two pieces. Link stood over it and slowly sheathed the Master Sword.

"That's a handy little spell," Link said to Gordon. "You'll have to use that more often."

"It doesn't do much damage, but it's good for –"

Gordon stopped short. Link watched as the sorcerers stared in horror in his direction. 

A sharp hissing sound blasted from behind him. Link's sixth sense and quick reflexes kicked in just in time to enable him to roll out of the jaws of death once again. 

The giant Deku Baba had regenerated and once again had the three travelers trapped in the tunnel. It was snapping at them furiously, desperate to get its revenge.

"_Arrgghhh!_" Lydia roared at it furiously. "You're supposed to _die_ when you die!! Stupid monster!"

"Link," Gordon asked sharply, "where is the Deku Tree? "

Link pointed past the snapping plant, toward the other end of the forest. "The Tree is through that passage over there,"

"…._Way_ over there…?" Lydia asked weakly.

"Okay then," her brother said, "we're going to have to make a break for it. Link, you kill it again, then we run for the Tree."

Link and Lydia nodded with determination as Gordon stepped forward again. "**Inferno Array!**"

Link ran into the smoke and slashed the plant. The sorcerers dashed out of the tunnel toward the back of the forest, followed closely by Link. 

They bounded past the giant plant, only to get a nasty shock. This wasn't the only giant Deku Baba. Kokiri Forest was absolutely littered with them. The houses were surrounded by them and they covered the whole ground. The group fought to keep running, knowing that if they stopped now, they'd be plant food.

They didn't get far before getting attacked by another Deku Baba. Lydia drew her sword quickly, slashing its stem as she ran past. Gordon fired small spells in front of him, taking care of the monsters blocking the path. Link worked with his sword, cutting a path through the flurry of monsters. Behind them, the plants regenerated themselves quickly and reached for them.

Another giant Deku Baba bounded itself down on Lydia, and she wasn't quick enough to avoid it. The massive jaws clamped down around her waist, and the monster hoisted her off the ground, screaming. The sorceress swung her sword at the plant madly, but its stem was just out of her reach.

When Link stopped to cut her free, another plant grabbed his leg from behind, then lifted him about eight feet off the ground. The plant shook him violently until the Hylian lost his grip on his sword's hilt. The Master Sword went flying and the blade embedded itself in the soft ground farther down the path.

Gordon was also high off the ground. Two Deku Babas held each of his arms and tried to pull him apart. The massive plants didn't count on its victim's special defense, however.

"**_Digger Volt!!_**"

Lightning coursed through both of his arms and electrocuted the Deku Babas. Gordon dropped to the ground and charged toward the two giant plants that were chewing on his friend and sister. Suddenly, a third Deku Baba shot out of a nearby bush, striking him sharply in the back. The sorcerer fell to the ground senseless as the plant moved in for the kill.

Lydia swung her weapon up and embedded it far into the head of her captor. The monster hissed violently and shook the sorceress until she dropped her sword, as well.

Link swore loudly as he repeatedly stabbed at the monster with a small dagger he had hidden in his boot. The monster shrieked, then reared back and threw the Hylian as far as it could. Link landed hard on the roof of one of the nearby houses, and didn't get up again.

The Deku Baba that still held the sorceress hissed shrilly and threw Lydia farther down the path. She landed next to a group of monsters, and instinctively rolled several feet, out of their reach. When she jumped up again, she saw the Master Sword, embedded in the dirt behind her. She bounded back and yanked it out of the ground. She knew in an instant that it was way too heavy for her to use, but still she raised it threateningly at the hissing plants, ready to do whatever she could to protect her brother and her friend. The close by Deku Babas reared up to their full height of ten feet, and then shot down toward the sorceress.

Suddenly, there was a flash of magic above the forest, but it didn't come from Lydia. She looked up in time to see a cloaked figure drop down and land in front of her. Lydia couldn't see who this person was. The black cloak completely covered the figure, and the face was well hidden by an enormous hood.

The mysterious figure threw his hands out, and energy blasted out in all directions. The hissing Deku Babas disintegrated completely as the magic spread out to cover the entire forest. When it faded, all the houses had been left untouched by the spell. Only the monster plants had been destroyed.

"Whoa.....," was the only thing Lydia could say.

The cloaked figure turned to face the sorceress. Lydia again tried to see his face, but was again unsuccessful.

When Lydia managed to find her voice again, she said "Th...Thank you.... I..."

Just then, a white fairy flew out from inside the hood and hovered over the figure's head.

Lydia almost couldn't believe it. "_Navi_?? Bug, what are you...?"

Before the sorceress could say anything more to him or to Navi, the figure turned and leapt high into the air, followed by the fairy, and disappeared in a flash of yellow light. 

Lydia stood in her place, still holding the Master Sword, trying to figure out what just happened. She snapped out of her trance when she noticed Gordon was slowly standing up, trying to regain his bearings. She dropped the sword and went to help him.

"What happened?" Gordon asked slowly. "Where'd all the monsters go?"

Before Lydia could answer, she saw Link sit up on the house's roof, painfully rubbing the back of his head.

"I'm not sure," she finally replied, "but I'll bet you guys won't believe me when I tell you."

"_What_ happened?" Link asked again.

"What's complicated about this?" Lydia retorted. "You two were out cold, and I was surrounded by those plants. Just then, a guy in a cloak appeared from the sky and killed all of the plants. Before I could ask him questions, he flew off and disappeared."

"Could you see his face at all?" Gordon asked.

"Nah. Mr. Cloak had himself totally covered. And not only that, your bug Navi was with him."

"_Navi_ was?" Link asked.

Lydia nodded her head.

"Well, if he ever appears again," Link said, "we'll have to stop him long enough to get a few simple answers."

"Maybe the Deku Tree knows who it was," Gordon suggested.

"Hey, yeah!" Lydia shouted. "We nearly got killed going to see this all-mighty tree of yours, so let's not waste any more time."

"I agree," Link concurred. "Let's get moving."

Lydia strayed off to regain her weapon as Link bent over and picked up the Master Sword. Lydia ran back to rejoin them, then the group headed down the path that would take them to the Great Deku Tree.

"_No!_" Link cried. "It can't be! I don't believe this!"

"Link!" Gordon shouted. "What's the matter?"

"The Great Deku Tree!"

"What about it??" Lydia asked sharply as she glanced at the monstrous tree.

"Can't you see? He's _dead_! The Great Deku Tree is dead! He wasn't dead before!"

Lydia looked back at the tree. Now that she thought about it, it really _did_ look dead. The tree stood a good 100 feet in the air, and the trunk was easily 50 feet across. It looked like a magnificent thing, except for the fact that it was shades of brown and gray, and was half-rotted.

"The tree's _dead_?" Gordon repeated. "How old was it?"

Link shook his head angrily. "Age meant nothing to the Deku Tree. Someone did something to him! He was fine when I left the forest! He just told me I was supposed to start some kind of quest, and then he gave me the Spiritual Stone of the Forest and sent me away! And now...he's dead!"

"But who....?" Gordon wondered. "Do you think it was that cloaked guy Lydia saw?"

Lydia shook her head. "Why would the guy kill the Deku Tree, and then go and save our lives?" she wondered out loud. "It just doesn't fit together. I'm willing to bet anything that this is Ganondorf's doing."

The sorceress turned to Link. "What do you think?" she asked him.

Link didn't say anything. He only lowered his eyes to the ground and kept them there as his last steams of hope died along with the great Tree.

"Perhaps you're right," Gordon said to his sister. "I suppose I can't go accusing that guy when we don't know who he is. He _did_ save us, after all, as you say."

Lydia looked at Link, and then up at the Deku Tree. ".... But what now?" she asked the boys. "The tree was the one to tell us where to go next. What to do next."

"We're at another dead end," Gordon sighed. "Without Princess Zelda, I just don't know what we should to next."

Link turned sharply and started back toward the forest. "Let's go," he said angrily. "There's nothing we can do here."

The sorcerers didn't say anything, but simply followed him. Lydia stole one last look at the Tree before they disappeared around the corner. How much more of this kind of thing can poor Link take? she wondered. ****

When the group reached the forest, they saw that a few of the monsters had regenerated themselves, and the rest were well on their way. The trio ignored them. The sorcerers silently followed Link, who seemed driven completely by anger. He turned into a nearby house and disappeared inside. The sorcerers followed.

Inside was a little Kokiri that looked a little different from the rest. He was sitting on a stump in the back. He had brownish-orange hair and a wide face. The Kokiri looked up when they entered. Link walked forward and the Kokiri seemed to recognize him.

Link nodded politely. "Mido," he said.

"Long time, Link," the Kokiri Mido replied. "I've been expecting to see you. You sure look...different."

"Seven years changes a lot of people. ...We came a few days ago."

"Yes I know. The girls from the house down the path told me so. And those must be the sorcerers," he said as he glanced past Link.

Lydia waved her hand and Gordon smiled.

"Yes," Link confirmed. "But there's something more important I need to talk to you about,"  
  
Mido quietly sat down in a chair next to Link.

"When did the Deku Tree die?" Link asked solemnly.

Mido looked at the ground. "It's probably been two or three months since then. Once he died, all those baddies outside appeared. We have just hidden in our homes since then."

"They weren't always that large, though," Link added.

"They've only gotten gigantic in the last couple of days. The other Kokiri and I are now afraid to even approach the door of our houses. You three walk among them, I've seen you. You're either very brave or very stupid."

"I think it's a little bit of both," Lydia suggested.

Link glanced at her, then at Mido again. "Do you know what happened to the Tree?"

Mido slowly shook his head. "No one is sure. Somebody had to have killed him."

"Do you think it was Ganondorf?"

"I thought so at first. But the day he died, I saw a weird person start hanging around in the forest, as if he was waiting for someone or something."

Gordon stepped forward. "Was this person wearing.... a black cloak?"

Mido nodded. "Yes. A man in a black cloak. I'm thinking it was that person who killed the tree."

Gordon looked at the ground in deep thought. "But why would this person kill the tree, then save us...? And not only that...why was Navi with him?" he asked himself quietly.

Lydia crossed her arms. "I _still_ think it was Ganondorf."

The Hylian looked at the Kokiri leader, then at Lydia. "We can't be sure right now. Without Princess Zelda's help, I just don't know what we are to do next."

Mido looked shocked. "Princess Zelda?? You've _seen_ her??" he asked loudly.

Link, also shocked, turned around quickly. "No..we...," he started. He then bounded forward and stopped just in front of Mido, bending down to his level. "Do you know where she is?" he asked eagerly.

The Kokiri's face fell sadly. ".... Haven't you heard?" he asked quietly.

Link looked worried suddenly. "Heard...what...?" he asked timidly.

"Princess Zelda...is dead."

Nothing was said for several moments. Horrible silence seemed to settle over the entire land of Hyrule. Whatever life that was left in the entire land seemed gone. And in the Kokiri Forest, three adventurers stood dumbfounded and horrified, refusing to believe what their ears had just heard.

The young Hylian finally found his voice. "Zelda...dead?? That's not possible! There must be some mistake!!"

The two sorcerers jumped forward hopefully, but Mido only sadly shook his head.

"The princess of Hyrule is dead. She's been dead ever since the Evil King invaded Hyrule seven years ago."

"_How_??" Lydia shouted angrily. "How could Princess Zelda be _dead_?"

Mido looked at the upset sorceress. "Zelda would be the only thing that would prevent Ganondorf from taking over Hyrule. To achieve his goal, the Evil King killed the Princess."

"Did anyone actually see this happen?" Gordon asked.

"No. She disappeared right before the Evil King invaded, and the word spread that he had killed her. That's the only way he could have done this. If Zelda was still alive, she would have been able to stop him somehow."

Link absolutely trembled with anger and distress.

Gordon looked at the Hylian in thought. "Perhaps...when Link lifted the Master Sword... Ganondorf set on to achieve his goal...."

"_It can't be true_!" Lydia shouted shrilly. "Princess Zelda can't be dead! She just can't be!"

Without another word, the sorceress bolted out of the house and disappeared. 

Lydia swallowed hard, trying not to cry. She looked at her brother, who was seated next to her under the tree. He had his eyes fixed on the stars above.

"She's.... really dead.... isn't she?" the sorceress asked timidly.

Gordon took his eyes off the sky and looked at his sister with a sign of hopelessness in his eyes. "That's the word," he confirmed sadly. 

Lydia sighed loudly as a single tear worked its way down her cheek. She turned to look at their house. The windows where dark. Link had gone to bed early. What bothered Lydia so much was that Link hadn't spoken a single word since they left Mido's house. She had attempted to speak with him during the horse ride home, but she never could get him to talk.

"I'm so sad for Link," she said to her brother quietly. 

Gordon turned his head to look at his sister.

"He has tried so hard to be brave and never give up hope," the sorceress continued, "but it's very obvious that something inside of him has given up. He's been trying to cover it up, but it shows that he's losing hope fast."

Gordon shook his head sadly. "There still must be something we can do."

"I don't see any way. Zelda was our only last lead, and she's dead. It seems she's been dead ever since we were sent back to Earth. That's why we heard her screams. It was Ganondorf. He killed her."

"It's all the more reason we need to find a way to defeat Ganon."

Lydia nodded in agreement. "Not only to avenge Zelda and everyone that has suffered, but also for Link."

"Yes," Gordon agreed. "He's been through so much. Everything that's happened to his homeland and to his friends...he's accepted everything so far and has still been brave."

"But it looks like Zelda was the last straw. The mighty Hero of Time may be giving up hope."

Gordon looked at his sister thoughtfully. "Something in your voice tells me that you don't really believe that."

Lydia looked at him and nodded slowly. "I don't believe Link will ever completely give up hope. Not someone like him. He is too courageous to give up hope, even when it looks this…well, hopeless. After a good night's rest, he'll be ready to go."

Gordon smiled slightly. "I admire that in him. I think you're right. Link will never give up. And that's why we need to help him in every way we can."

"No matter what happens," Lydia declared confidently. "We will defeat Ganondorf. We will save Hyrule. There's no stopping us now."


	8. Chapter 8

**_Worlds Apart  
Part II  
By Miss Lydia_****__**

**Chapter 8**

The stars in the heavens above Hyrule twinkled their goodbyes as the mighty sun rose over the eastern horizon. In the village of Kakariko, the morning sunlight gently touched the roofs of the houses. The houses brightened, welcoming the coming of a new day. Inside one of the houses, a small group of adventurers wasn't quite as eager to greet the day.

Lydia sat up in her bed and stretched loudly. Gordon did the same, and after cracking several bones, he rolled out from under his covers. He walked over to the window and opened the shutters, letting the light flood in.

The girl sighed and swung her legs to the floor. Glancing to the bed in the corner, she saw something rather unusual. Link was still in bed. 

That's odd, she thought. He's always the first one awake.

She stood silently and traveled to the other side of Link's bed. Link's eyes were open and he was staring blankly at the wall.

Lydia bent over slightly. "Good morning," she said gently. "…Are you feeling any better?"

He replied by moaning and pulling the sheets over his head.

Lydia sighed and reached over to the lump in the sheets. "That's okay," she said as she gave Link's shoulder a hearty pat. "I understand. Listen, you don't worry about anything today. Gordon and I are going to the lake to see if we can do anything there. We'll see you later okay?"

The lump under the blankets shifted for several moments. Then, Link's arm appeared out from under the sheets. In his hand was the Ocarina of Time.

"Oh?" Lydia asked. "For Epona? Thanks."

She gently took the Ocarina from him. His arm quickly disappeared back under the blankets.

Lydia shook her head sadly and met her brother at the door. They left together and started toward Hyrule Field. As Lydia closed the door behind her, she turned to whisper to Gordon.

"Poor Link," Lydia sighed. "He's in such a sorry state. He won't even get out of bed."

"Can you really blame him?" Gordon asked.

"…No, I can't. If I were in his place, I'd probably be worse."

"I just hope we can do something at the lake."

The two sorcerers walked through the gates, Lydia practiced with the Ocarina of Time, trying to mimic the song Link had played for Epona. She was messing it up so badly Gordon couldn't help but laugh. When she finally got it right, Hyrule Field had already appeared in front of them. 

Gordon looked around. Epona wasn't where they had left her the night before.

"She probably headed back toward the ranch or something," he suggested. "Try the song. Maybe she'll come back on her own."

Lydia raised the Ocarina and played Epona's Song. When she finished, she glanced ahead. Nothing happened. The field was silent.

She pocketed the Ocarina of Time and swore quietly. She and Gordon began to walk. After crossing the bridge across the stream, they began to hear hoof beats in the distance. They looked ahead as Epona appeared over the hill, charging toward them at top speed.

Lydia sighed. "That's good. I sure as hell didn't want to walk the whole way."

Gordon stamped his foot silently. "Oh nuts," he said under his breath. "I was hoping to pull you through a tree, too."

"_What_ was that??"  
  
"Uh, nothing! Nothing at all."

As Epona neared the sorcerers, Lydia got her brother in a headlock and pulled him to the ground. She stopped when she noticed the horse behaving strangely. Epona had stopped several feet away and refused to come closer.

Gordon raised his head off the ground. "I'll bet she thought it was Link playing the Ocarina. She only trusts him fully, remember?"

Lydia stood up and approached Epona. The horse neighed softly and backed away.

"Hey, come on," the sorceress said gently. "We're friends, remember?" She reached up and gently touched her nose as a reminder.

Epona stopped backing away and stood still. Lydia approached slowly, and Epona stayed in her place. 

"I know you expected Link," Lydia continued, "but he's having problems right now. So it's just us. You need to trust us, at least for now, okay?"

The horse backed up a few feet as Lydia approached. Lydia scoffed loudly.

"Look, horse, the only way to help Link now is to trust us, okay? If you want to help him, you have to trust me."

Epona neighed loudly and nudged the girl's shoulder. Lydia smiled and jammed her toe into the saddle's stirrup, and then pulled herself up. Once centered in the saddle, she reached down and stroked Epona's neck.

"That's a good girl," she said softly. "Just like that."

She looked down at her brother. "Let's head for the lake."

Before Lydia could say anything more, Epona suddenly shook her head violently and neighed loudly. She reared up on her hind legs, leaving the sorceress to hang on for dear life. Epona's legs hit the ground again, and then she turned and charged south, with the sorceress on her back screaming the whole way.

Gordon stood where they had left him, watching the horse charge away, almost completely out of the rider's control. He started laughing loudly. "So much for Epona's trust. **Ray Wing!**" 

***

Lydia climbed wearily off Epona's back, her legs shaky and unsteady. She trailed to the horse's head and stared angrily into the big, brown eyes. Epona neighed and nudged Lydia's stomach playfully. The sorceress suddenly started laughing.

"Okay. _Very_ funny, Epona. _Very_ funny." 

Lydia reached up and gripped the horse's muzzle stiffly and pulled it close. "Do that again, and I'll kill you," she warned, still smiling.

Gordon came to Epona's rescue. "Leave her be," he said. "She was only playing with you."

Lydia ignored him and turned toward the lake. It was still empty and dreary. There seemed to be no life at all, except for the blue Tektites wandering around.

"Do you have any idea what we can do from here?" Gordon asked.

Lydia shook her head.

"Do you think the lake has just dried up," Gordon wondered, "or maybe it's kept empty with dark magic, like Zora's Fountain was?"

"I don't know. The way things are going, it's probably Ganondorf's dark magic. And without my own sorcery, I can't test that theory."

"If it really is the dark magic at work, the only way to restore the lake would be to cut off the source."

"In other words, defeat Ganondorf." 

As Lydia spoke the man's name, a sharp wind blew past them, making a howling sound. The two sorcerers immediately sensed another presence at the lake. Lydia drew her sword cautiously as Gordon surveyed the scene.

Behind them, Epona neighed and reared up. When she landed again, the terrified horse turned and charged away from the lake. 

Lydia waved her fist after her. "Hey, horse!" she shouted angrily. "Get back here!"

Before any more words where exchanged, the howling sound grew to almost a deafening level. Suddenly, dozens of blue Tektites started to drop out of the sky, landing around the two sorcerers. Within seconds, they were surrounded by at least a hundred of them.

Lydia raised her sword. "Haven't we done this before?" she asked sarcastically, remembering their first visit to the Zora River.

Gordon boldly threw his hand out. "Bring it on! **_Fireball!_**" 

About a dozen of the Tektites fell immediately, but they were immediately replaced with new ones.

Gordon backed away from the swarm. "If they were all in front of us, I could kill them all at once. But they're all around us. There's no way to cast a huge spell without getting caught in it ourselves!"

Lydia snarled and swung her sword at the closest monster, killing it. The others responded by jumping at her, knocking her back. Gordon cast several spells, destroying a good number of the monsters, but he too was knocked down quickly. When both of the travelers were on the ground, all the remaining Tektites began to hiss loudly, and they all jumped toward them at once. 

There was suddenly a flash of bright light above the battle. The figure in the black cloak dropped down in front of the fallen sorcerers and threw his hands out. Once again, magic spread out in all directions, destroying every Tektite in the area. The mysterious magician had saved them again.

Lydia stood cautiously and approached the cloaked figure. He turned to look at her, and then approached her, as if he wanted to say something.

However, no words where exchanged. The figure suddenly stopped abruptly and looked around defensively, as if he had just sensed another presence. He shot one last look at the sorcerers, then leapt to the sky and disappeared in a bright flash of magic. 

Gordon stood, still staring at the sky. "Was that the guy?"

"Uh huh," Lydia confirmed. "That was Mr. Cloak. And once again, I couldn't get any answers. Damn. We're no closer to finding our way out of this dead end than we were yesterday."

Gordon sighed and glanced at the drained lake. "Let's head back to town. There's nothing we can do here."

Lydia pulled out the Ocarina of Time and played Epona' Song. The horse reappeared eventually and met them by the lakeshore. Lydia put the Ocarina away, then playfully gave Epona's head a good shove.

"You coward," she muttered.

As soon as Lydia was in the saddle, Epona decided to play games some more. The horse reared up and charged back toward the field, taking the terrified sorceress along for the ride. Gordon laughed again, and then took off to catch up.

***

Lydia strolled back toward their house with mixed feelings of hope, despair, and eagerness. They had only driven themselves farther into the dead end by going to Lake Hylia. Her head came back from the clouds when she felt Gordon nudge her sharply with his elbow. He pointed ahead, and Lydia followed his gaze.

Link was outside, sitting on the roof of their house. He had his arms and head on his knees. He didn't even seem to notice that they had returned.

Lydia shook her head pitifully as she climbed the stairs next to the house. The side of the roof stood against the ground at the top of the hill, so it was easy to just walk onto the roof. Lydia carefully climbed up to the tip of the roof and sat down next to Link, dangling her legs off of the side. Back on the ground, Gordon turned north, gazing thoughtfully at Death Mountain.

She gently tapped Link's shoulder. His face finally appeared and looked at her. There was deep hopelessness in his eyes. Lydia saw that immediately. She knew that if a person like _her_ could see it, it must be really obvious.

Link turned away and gazed up toward the sun.

Lydia sighed, trying to find the right words to say. She couldn't land on very good ones, and stumbled into the conversation.

"Um..." she began carefully, "Mr. Cloak reappeared while we were at the lake. There was something evil there. Whatever it was sent a Tektite army after us. I couldn't get any answers from the guy, but it looked like he wanted to tell us something,"

Link silently buried his face in his arms again. Lydia sighed and rested her hand on his shoulder.

"Listen, we're going up the mountain to see what's going on there. You don't have to come if you don't want to." Lydia looked at Link hopefully, but she continued when he didn't reply.

"It will probably be another dead end. Still, we should see if we can figure out what's going on with the Gorons. Gordon and I will probably be fine on our own. You can stay here and get your head on straight, if you want to."

Link didn't move. Lydia stood carefully, and before she realized it, she was bent down and her arms were around Link's neck. "Okay, then," she said. "We'll see you around." She straightened up again and moved away. As she started back down the roof, she twisted around momentarily. "I know it looks bad. But we'll pull out of it. We always do. You have to have faith."

She climbed off the roof and waved her arm at Gordon. Her brother met her at the top of the hill. Together, the two sorcerers started up the Death Mountain trail. Back in Kakariko, Link lifted his head in time to watch them disappear around the corner. 

***

It was their second visit to Goron City, and it was just as empty as the first time. Except for one thing. The two sorcerers immediately noticed movement inside. A single, small rock creature was rolling around on one of the middle floors.

Lydia and Gordon caught up to him, but couldn't get him to stop rolling around. Lydia saw a bomb flower nearby and chuckled evilly. Link had told her about those once. She yanked it out of the leaves and set it down, right in the little rock's path. The sorcerers retreated as the rock rolled close. The bomb exploded, and the rock stopped. 

The two travelers approached cautiously as the rock unrolled and sat up.

"Who are you?" the rock asked them.

"Who are _you_?" Lydia asked.

"I'm Link, of the Gorons. My father is Darunia."

"Who's Darunia?"

"My dad."

Lydia scoffed. "I got that part, but who is he?"

"The head Goron in Goron City."

Gordon stepped up. "What did you say your name was, little guy?"

"Link."

"We also know someone named Link." 

The little Goron suddenly got very excited. "You mean the Hylian Link? The Dodongo-Buster and Hero Link?"

Lydia started laughing really hard. "_Dodongo-Buster_? Now _that_'s funny!"

"You _do_ know the Hero Link!" Link the Goron said happily. "Could you get his autograph for me?"

"There's something more important that needs to be talked about right now," Gordon said. "Where are all the other Gorons?" 

Link the Goron's excitement vanished and he started to cry softly. "Everyone was taken away. Even Dad. They are all prisoners of the dragon Volvagia."

"A dragon??" Lydia asked sternly, but not without excitement.

"Ganondorf revived him and took all the Gorons away. They will be fed to Volvagia as a warning to the other races of Hyrule."

"When will this happen?" Gordon asked urgently.

"It should have happened already. But the Evil King seems preoccupied with something. He was supposed to feed Volvagia at least a week or two ago, but he's suddenly become busy with something else." 

Lydia smiled. "Us. He's preoccupied with us. He's busy keeping us out of his hair."

"As long as we keep running around causing trouble," Gordon suggested, "the Gorons will stay safe until we get enough power to kill the dragon."

Lydia reached down and patted Link the Goron on his head. "You just say hidden from Ganondorf and you'll be safe. And don't worry, we'll get together with Link and we'll save the Gorons."

"If the Dodongo-Buster and Hero Link is involved, the Gorons will surely be saved!" the little Goron declared happily. "Please give him my thanks ahead of time!"

The little Goron waved goodbye, then continued to roll around. The two sorcerers started up the stairs again. Lydia suddenly giggled and looked at her brother.

"Dodongo-Buster?" she repeated, and then continued to laugh.

_Oh boy_, Gordon thought. _There she goes._

***

The two travelers made their way down the trail. Lydia couldn't wait to tell Link of this new development. 

"It really sucks that the Gorons will be dragon food," she said, "but at least it helps us out of our dead end. Well, at least it does a little bit."

Gordon looked at her. "No it doesn't." 

Lydia looked surprised. "Why not?"

"Do any of us currently have the power to kill a dragon?"

The sorceress sighed and looked at her feet. "No, I suppose not. Damn, we're still in the dead end."

"Do you think a Dragon Slave will kill it?"

"It seems that Volvagia is really powerful and nasty. No offense, but your Dragon Slave may not be powerful enough. I could use the Sorcerer's Rune to power one up, but without my magic, we're still stuck."

"Ganondorf is really starting to piss me off," Gordon declared angrily.

"Don't worry," his sister replied, "that lousy son of a biscuit will get his, I promise. Once I finish my secret weapon–" 

Lydia stopped short, realizing that she had said too much. Her brother was on her in an instant.

"What secret weapon? Huh?" he kept asking.

"If I told you, it wouldn't be a secret!"

"_What_ secret weapon??" he asked again.

"I'm not telling! It's my little secret! But don't worry, once I finish it, you won't care that I'm keeping it a secret."****

Gordon would have pursued the matter further, but suddenly a rush of wind blasted through the trail, and the familiar howling sound followed close behind. Knowing what was coming, Lydia unsheathed her sword and Gordon prepared his sorcery.

Large dinosaur creatures began to rise out of the ground. They each wore armor and had a sword and shield. They reminded Lydia of a Lizalfos, but these definitely weren't Lizalfos. They looked more like Tyrannosaurs than lizards.

The creatures continued to rise from the ground until there were about ten of them. The two sorcerers backed up against the trail wall, completely surrounded again. 

Gordon looked at his sister and said, "Whatever it is, I'm sure we could use that secret weapon of yours right now!"

"I'd love to use it, but it's not ready!" she replied. "I haven't perfected it yet! Who knows what would happen if I lost control of it!"

Before she could defend herself further, one of the creatures approached with its sword raised. Lydia raised her own sword and stabbed at it. She hit it once, and the monster retaliated with its own attack, striking Lydia sharply in the shoulder. The sorceress howled in pain and staggered back, cursing her lack of skill with her sword. She quickly regained her bearings and attacked again.

"**Fehlzareid!**" Spiral rays of light shot out at a group of the creatures that was closing in on Gordon. The creatures recovered from the hit quickly and jumped Gordon before he could react. Even from her side of the battle, Lydia could hear a sickening crack come from the commotion. She stabbed her target, and then ran to her brother's aid.

"**Fireball!!**" The creatures that surrounded the sorcerer were blown away long enough for Lydia to help him to the edge of the trail. His leg had been broken. Wincing in utter pain, he carefully straightened his leg and began to use a recovery spell to heal the broken bone. 

He looked at Lydia sharply. "Hold them off!" he instructed. "This'll take a few minutes!" 

Lydia scoffed silently. "'Hold them off', he says," she muttered. Still she raised her weapon at the group of creatures. One of them advanced and raised its sword, preparing to bring it down and destroy them both. Lydia raised her sword, praying that she'd be able to block the attack. The monster roared and attacked. ****

The monster's sword never made contact. In a blur of green and a clash of cold steel, the Hero of Time sprinted between them and swung at the creature's head, knocking it away. The Master Sword was swung again and the monster was destroyed. The other creatures backed away cautiously.

Lydia's face was brighter than the sun. "Link!"

Link didn't say anything. He only charged forward and slashed more of the creatures. Lydia followed his lead and attacked a few herself, having found new confidence. She had a little more trouble, but the two held the creatures long enough for Gordon to finish healing his leg. 

After what seemed like an eternity, all the creatures had fallen. Breathless, Lydia and Link joined Gordon at the trailside. The two sorcerers watched Link carefully, trying to read his sad expression. For the first time all day, Link spoke.

"I'm sorry."

The solemn apology took Lydia off guard. "Sorry for what?" she asked him.

"I'm sorry for being so useless. I'm just...."

"Upset," Lydia finished the sentence for him. "We know, it's okay."

"I wasn't there when you two needed my help. That's really shameful, I think."

As Gordon slowly stood up on his healed leg, Lydia walked up to Link and gave him a friendly hug.

"Hey, don't worry about it, okay?" she said. "You came to our rescue just now. That was very heroic."

Link sighed and rested his chin on her shoulder. "…I thought about what you said back there. You were right. We will find some way to pull out of this. But...that doesn't change the fact that I'm still sorry."

"It also doesn't change the fact that there's no need to be sorry. If you apologize again, I'll knot your ears."

Link laughed heartily as Lydia let go and stepped away. Gordon appeared beside her and smiled at Link.

"Good to have you back," he said.

Before Link could acknowledge, the howling sound started up again, louder than it had been before. Link jumped around and drew his sword again. More of the dinosaur creatures rose from the ground. They once again surrounded the group, only this time, there were about three dozen. They stood close together as Lydia scowled. 

"Okay, just so curiosity doesn't kill me before _they_ do," she started, "what are these things?"

"Dinoalfos," Link replied quickly. "Like Lizalfos, but more powerful."

"Crap!" Gordon shouted. "Can we kill this many?"

Before anyone could think about it, the Dinoalfos swarm closed in, making the group's circle of safety smaller and smaller. Link stood ready with the Master Sword, ready to take them all on. 

Above the battle, there was a bright flash of magic. Once again, the cloaked figure dropped down in front of the adventurers and blasted his magic. The Dinoalfos army fell to the ground, and none of them stood again. 

The mysterious man turned to look at the sorcerers and the Hero of Time. Lydia didn't waste her chance.

"Okay!" she shouted shrilly, pointing at him with her whole arm. "Answers! We want them!"

The cloaked person stepped forward, once again as if to speak to them. However, once again, the person sensed an evil presence and prepared to run away. Before he jumped away again, Navi shot out from under his hood and fluttered near the travelers.

"Everyone!" she shouted. "The Temple of Time! Quickly!"

Before anyone could say anything, both the figure and the fairy disappeared in the ball of light. 

Link sheathed his sword. "So that was him?"

Lydia nodded. "Navi said the Temple of Time. Maybe we'll finally get some answers."

Around them, the fallen Dinoalfos began to stir and stand weakly. 

"He was only able to stun them!" Link noticed. "Let's get out of here while we still can!"

Without a word from either of them, the two sorcerers charged down the trail, with Link in the lead. Everyone's heart was filled with new hope and determination. The way out of the dead end was in sight!

***

The group charged through Kakariko Village without stopping. As they ran, Lydia reached into her pocket and gave Link his Ocarina. When they reached the field, Link played Epona's Song. Epona appeared over the horizon and charged toward them. 

Link climbed up into the saddle and offered his hand to help Lydia on. Lydia stepped back, not wanting to approach Epona.

"What's wrong?" Link asked.

"Your horse hates me," Lydia replied.

Gordon remembered the events of earlier that day and started to laugh.

"She took me on a rather jolly romp through Hyrule Field earlier today," Lydia continued. "I'd rather not get on again."

Link tried a different approach. "Do you want answers from the cloaked guy or not?"

Lydia saw the point and climbed up into the saddle. She wrapped her arms around Link's waist, ready for anything Epona might try to do. Epona neighed with a mocking tone and charged toward Hyrule Market.

***

"There's no one here," Lydia said.

The Temple of Time was empty. The three spiritual stones shone from their place on the altar. The Door of Time stood open.

"That's obvious," Link mocked.

Lydia replied by stomping on his toe.

"Well, I guess we wait," Gordon suggested.

They didn't have to wait long. Above them, the familiar flash of magic announced the arrival of their special guest. The cloaked man dropped down in front of them and rose slowly. Navi appeared and fluttered over to Link.

Everyone stepped closer to the mysterious man, and he approached them. For the first time, he spoke to the adventurers.

"You seek answers. You will get them this day," he said quietly.

The man's sleek hand reached up and released the button that held his cloak in place. Within seconds, the black cloak fell and crumpled around his feet.

Link, Lydia, and Gordon all stared at him with a mix of disbelief and hope in their eyes. No one could believe who that black cloak had been hiding beneath it.


	9. Chapter 9

**_Worlds Apart  
Part II  
By Miss Lydia_******

**Chapter 9**

Ever since they had returned to Hyrule several weeks earlier, nothing but despair and discouragement met with the three adventurers. In their quest to save the land, they ran into a dead end, and anything they did only drove them farther into it. The Hero of Time had very nearly lost hope completely, and the two sorcerers were losing theirs rapidly. On this day, they stood together in the Temple of Time with a mysterious traveler, whom had saved their lives in times of need. He had never revealed his identity until now. The face under the black cloak sent hope flooding like a mighty river into the hearts of the three chosen ones. They all smiled in weary disbelief.

It was Princess Zelda.

Zelda, whom for seven years had been lost to the people of Hyrule, thought to be dead, stood before them, smiling gleefully. She gently kicked aside the black cloak that wrapped itself around her ankles and brushed her bright blond hair aside. 

"Greetings, chosen ones of destiny," she finally said. "It is so good to see you again."

There was suddenly an explosion of confusion, questions, and other assorted noise, and it all came from the Hero of Time and the two sorcerers.

"_ZELDA_!!"

"Where have you been?"

"We heard you were dead!"  
  
"What happened to you?"

"Why were you hiding under that hood?"

Zelda stepped back and got very defensive. "Please!" she pleaded urgently. "Let me speak! I have little time as it is!"

Lydia breathed hard and spoke in quick, jumbled sentences. "Zelda! What's going on?" she managed to get out.

"Please," Zelda asked again, "I know you all have dozens of questions. But you need to let me explain."

The three confused heroes backed down, nodding silently to each other.

"Now then," Zelda began. "I'll begin on that day, seven years ago...." 

***

"We thought the Triforce was in our reach, and that Ganondorf had been destroyed by Lydia's Dragon Slave spell We let our guard down, and that proved to be a costly mistake. That mistake almost cost us the sacred relic."

"Almost?" Lydia asked.

"I'll get to that, Sorceress of Hyrule," Zelda replied, and then continued.

"Link pulled the Master Sword from the Pedestal of Time. He was too young to be the Hero of Time, so the Triforce sealed his spirit in the Sacred Realm. He would remain there until he was of age to wield the Sword to save Hyrule. Link wasn't the only one who was taken away. The magic that had enabled Lydia and Gordon to travel to Hyrule was neutralized by that burst of energy required to seal Link's spirit, and you were both thrown back to Earth. I was left alone. I was left to face Ganondorf alone.

"What happened to you?" Lydia asked quickly. "I've been afraid that Ganondorf had hurt you, or even killed you!"

Link elbowed her sharply in the ribs. "Quiet, will you?" he snapped. "Maybe if you'd just shut that hole in your face for a few minutes, she could get everything out."

Zelda nodded solemnly as Lydia yanked on Link's ear. The princess laughed softly.

"You two are cute together," she commented, "but this is too urgent a time to act cute."

Lydia and Link immediately stopped and faced Zelda to listen, but it was obvious that they were both embarrassed. Zelda continued.

"I panicked," Zelda confirmed. "I was young, and very scared, as you can probably imagine. The three people I had depended on most disappeared before my very eyes. Ganondorf came after me, so I ran out of the Temple of Time as fast as my legs could carry me. Fear and adrenaline are what got me out of there alive. I barely escaped his clutches, and luckily, he didn't chase after me. That may have saved my life.

"I ran until my strength gave out. When I could run no more, I had made it to the outskirts of the forests. Fanore must have been watching over me, because Navi found me there. That's when I realized she hadn't been with you all in the Temple of Time. She met me at the forest and guided me into the Lost Woods, where I could hide.

"As I retreated into the forbidding woods, I sensed a horrible level of evil energy. The energy surged across Hyrule and shook it to the core. I immediately knew what had happened. Ganondorf had succeeded in gaining the Triforce. He had his evil wish granted. I fell into great despair and felt that all was lost. The Triforce was lost, Link was lost, the two sorcerers of destiny were lost...I was all alone, shivering with fear, hiding in the darkness of the Lost Woods.

"It was then that I heard the voice of Rauru, the Light Sage. He snatched me from the forbidding woods into the safety of the Sacred Realm. I remained there, hiding from Ganondorf, because I knew he was still searching for me. I hid in the Sacred Realm, until Link's spirit was released and the two sorcerers returned to Hyrule.

"I've stayed hidden the Realm ever since you all returned, but have been keeping track of you. I only came out of my hiding place a couple of times to help you. That in itself was very risky for me. That's why I had to flee so quickly. Lydia, I wanted _so_ much to stop and talk to you.... but I had to run away to avoid Ganondorf, because he has also been following you all." 

"Why haven't you run away already?" Gordon asked.

"The Temple of Time gives me extra cover. It will take him longer to sense me in here. By then, I should be finished telling you what needs to be told."

"Quick question," Link asked quietly. "Why is Ganondorf so intent on catching you? What do you have that he wants?"

"When Ganondorf touched the Triforce, the Sheikah legend of the three pieces came true."

"Yes," Lydia reminisced. "I vaguely remember Link told us about that. The pieces split...."

"And he kept the Triforce of Power," Gordon finished the sentence for her.

"What about the other two pieces?" Link wondered aloud. "Do we know who has them?"

Zelda nodded. "Yes. Ganondorf has been looking for the two lost pieces ever since the Triforce split, so he could gain full power. He has been chasing me all these years.... because hidden within me is the Triforce of Wisdom."

Everyone stared at the princess in silent awe, and then Link finally managed to speak.

"And the third piece?" he asked quietly.

Zelda smiled at the young Hylian. "The Triforce of Courage split itself away from the other two pieces and hid itself within you, Link."

Link's eyes grew as wide as dinner plates as the two sorcerers on either side of him turned to stare. Lydia laughed softly.

"You mean Long Ears holds the sacred Triforce of Courage?" she said. "That is so cool!"

Link smiled proudly, then looked back at the princess. Gordon stepped forward with a theory.

"Then that power you showed," he began, "in the forest.... and at the lake...and on the mountain trail..."

"That was the power of the Triforce of Wisdom," Zelda confirmed. "That's why I was in so much danger when I came out of the Sacred Realm. I came out and used my Triforce piece. That basically screamed 'Hey! I'm over here!' to the Evil King. One of the Triforce pieces he so desperately searched for revealed itself, and he came to wherever I was. That's why I had to run away so quickly each time. Every time I tried to pause long enough to talk to you, I would sense him close. I had to run to protect the Triforce of Wisdom. We must protect our two pieces of the Triforce with all our might. That much is clear."

As the three worked on absorbing all this new information, Zelda suddenly looked around with great caution. When she turned back, her eyes told them that something was coming, and it was frightening to her.

"Time is growing dangerously short for me," she continued. "Even in the Sacred Realm, Ganon will eventually find me and gain the Triforce of Wisdom. Hiding is only delaying the inevitable. That is the main reason I had to meet with you today. The Triforce of Wisdom is no longer safe with me. If we are to have hope of saving Hyrule, I must give it to safer hands. The only way I can help you in your quest now will be to act as your decoy."

"Decoy?" Lydia wondered aloud.

"I will entrust the Triforce of Wisdom to the people I trust most in any world. Those people are you three. I will entrust the piece to you, then go back to the Sacred Realm. Ganondorf will still believe I have the Triforce of Wisdom, and will chase after me. This will buy you all enough time to save the races of Hyrule."

Link frowned. "Yes. The Gorons, the Zoras, the Kokiri...all are in terrible danger."

"The defeat of the Evil King won't save them," Zelda continued. "You three must go and save them first. My acting as a decoy will buy you enough time."

"How?" Lydia asked. "We've been to all the places already and have been unable to do anything. What will make a second visit any different?"

"You all now have the power of the Triforce of Courage on your side. Combined with this and the Triforce of Wisdom, you all will have the power to alter the effects of Ganondorf's evil magic. Once they are free of their torment, you must advance to defeat Ganondorf. But you must exert _extreme_ caution. Link, Ganondorf will soon know that you hold the Triforce of Courage. And when he does, he will try to obtain it from you. You must be very careful and protect it with all your power! Do you all understand what must be done?"

Link nodded confidently. The two sorcerers did the same.

"Another very important note," Zelda added importantly. "No matter what happens, you must save the other races of Hyrule before going to defeat the Evil King, even if he finds me."

"Why?" Gordon asked. "Let's say he _does_ find you. We have to come help. Why would we have to wait for that?"

"Ganondorf was horribly powerful _before_ he got the Triforce of Power, and now that he has that, his power is unimaginable. Even with the powers you have, it may not be enough. However, the power you need is in the damaged places of Hyrule."

Lydia raised an eyebrow in questioning. "I don't get it."

"The Evil King destroyed parts of Hyrule with his magic. The only way to restore the peace is to remove that magic. In doing so, your own magic and powers will be further strengthened and your Triforce pieces will be more powerful."

"Okay, I get it now..." Lydia said thoughtfully, "but exactly _how_ do we remove that magic?"

"Scattered across Hyrule are six Sages. Rauru the Light Sage is one. There are five others. When you destroy the evil at a cursed place, the Sage there will help you to utilize the magic there, thereby strengthening your Triforce pieces and purifying that land. Do you all understand what to do?"

All three thought the matter over and nodded confidently.

"Who are the other five Sages? How do we find them?" Link asked. 

Before Zelda could answer, the walls of the Temple of Time began to rumble and shake violently. Dirt shook free of the walls and fell to the floor. Zelda whirled around with deep fear in her blue eyes.

"No!" she shouted. "It's too soon! He can't have found me yet!"

Link bounded forward without a thought and grasped Zelda's arm. "We need to get you out of here! We can't let him get you!"

Zelda grunted and yanked herself free. "There's no time!" she shouted urgently. "Please, now! Take the Triforce piece and keep moving forward in your quest! I now entrust it to you! Protect the Triforce pieces!" 

Princess Zelda swiftly threw her hand in front of her face and a Triforce mark appeared. The Triforce of Wisdom part of the mark was illuminated especially brightly. She raised both of her arms high. A bright light began to shine from between her hands. The three weary travelers shielded their eyes from the light.

When the light died down to a tolerable level, the ball of light over Zelda was replaced by a small golden triangle. 

The Triforce of Wisdom.

Gordon suddenly closed his eyes and began to concentrate hard. His legs began to move, seemingly on their own, and he began to walk slowly toward Zelda. It was like he had no control over his body. Link and Lydia watched, neither of them daring to say anything.

A Golden Triforce appeared on his forehead and shone brightly. Except this mark wasn't the same as the one that had appeared when his power reacted to the Song of Time. The three pieces of the Triforce were not filled in – the mark was the outline of the three Triangles, waiting to be filled in with something.

Within moments, Gordon had moved within five feet of the princess. The Triforce of Wisdom shone from above her. Once the sorcerer got close, the golden Triangle removed itself from its place above Zelda and slowly moved above Gordon, shining yet more brightly. A beam of yellow energy began to swirl up from around the sorcerer's feet as he raised his arms high into the air. The Triforce of Wisdom shone for a moment longer, then faded and disappeared. 

Gordon and Zelda lowered their arms. The mark on Zelda's hand faded and vanished. On Gordon's head, the Triforce outline mark shone for a moment, then the Triforce of Wisdom part of it was slowly filled in with a golden color, and it stayed that way.

Gordon was now the new holder of the Triforce of Wisdom. 

Once the light faded completely, the two dropped to their knees in exhaustion. Link and Lydia, still shocked and dumbfounded by what they had just witnessed, stumbled over to them. Zelda regained her bearings and jumped up before they could get there. The Temple of Time shook more violently with each passing second.

"I must go!" Zelda shouted urgently. "Ganondorf is almost upon us! Remember what I have told you and get far away from here! I'm counting on you all!"

Zelda began to gather her magic to retreat back to the Sacred Realm, to begin her role as a decoy. But she never made it. A rectangular pink-colored shield suddenly materialized around her and sealed her inside. Ganondorf's laugh echoed in their ears. 

Link yelled in anger as the Evil King himself materialized near the ceiling of the Temple. From inside her prison, Princess Zelda was suddenly terrified. Link yanked the Master Sword from its sheath and brought it down as hard as he could on the pink shield. The sword bounced off with a loud _clang_. The Hylian cursed angrily and looked toward Ganondorf, who was very happy with himself.

"Princess Zelda, you foolish traitor," Ganondorf bellowed. "I must commend you for avoiding me for seven long years, but now you let your guard down, and the Triforce of Wisdom is mine!"

Gordon gritted his teeth and stood. He doesn't know, he told himself. He doesn't know Zelda doesn't have it anymore! This may give me the chance I need.

Link acted quickly. Holding the Master Sword by its blade, he wheeled his arm back as far as he could. With a battle yell of determination, he heaved the sword at the Evil King with expert aim, sending it soaring toward Ganondorf's torso. If luck were on his side, the sword would impale Ganondorf. But Ganondorf acted quickly as well, throwing up a magic shield at the last second. The Master Sword bounced harmlessly off the barrier and clanged loudly to the temple floor.

"Why try to stop me now?" Ganondorf mocked the three. "There _is_ no stopping me. You could not stop me seven years ago. There's no way you can stop me now, especially since I have two Triforce pieces. And I am close to finding the third..."

His dark eyes shifted to the floor and landed on Link with a piercing glare that sent shivers up the spine of the Hero of Time.

"It will be mine soon, Hero of Time," Ganon continued. "You will not have to worry about protecting it much longer. No matter who possesses it, it will be mine in time. I will track down the one who has it, and will destroy that person if necessary."

The Evil King raised his arm, and with it, the pink shield the held the princess raised off the floor. Zelda pressed her hands against the prison in desperation as she flew toward the ceiling. With tears in her eyes, Lydia watched helplessly as their plans fell apart in front of them. 

_Dammit,_ she cursed to herself. If only I could use my secret weapon, or _any_ magic for that matter.

She jerked her head toward her brother and met his glance. He nodded sternly, as if reading her thoughts. 

"**Fireball!!**"

Again, Ganondorf raised a shield that broke the fireball into several pieces. Several smaller fireballs flew away from him in all directions. They bounced off the walls of the Temple, sailing right back toward the adventurers. The trio scattered, trying to avoid the after affects of the spell. Within a few minutes, the small fireballs disappeared in puffs of smoke. 

The Evil King laughed loudly and fired some magic at Zelda's prison shield. Zelda covered her eyes and face as the shield glowed brightly. After a couple seconds, the shield faded and disappeared. Princess Zelda was gone.

Link shrieked his anger in several ways, all directed at Ganondorf. The man looked down at him and laughed. 

"Is there nothing you "heroes" can do?" he mocked mercilessly. "I now have the Triforce of Wisdom. There's no way you can defeat me, even if you find the Triforce of Courage before I do. Why don't you all just go home?"

"_Enough_!!" Gordon shrieked. Lydia stepped away from her brother in shock as Gordon looked at the Evil King defiantly.

"You've put us through absolute hell ever since we came to Hyrule," Gordon continued angrily. "You've hurt so many people and done so much damage, and for that I'll never forgive you!"

Ganondorf looked down at the earthling sorcerer with hate in his eyes. He suddenly heard the quick hum of a bowstring and flew back a few feet as a reflex. A golden colored arrow zoomed inches in front of his face and embedded itself in the temple wall. Ganondorf looked first at the mystical Light Arrow stuck in the wall, then down at the Hero of Time, who was angrily clutching a wooden short bow. Link snarled at him angrily. 

The Evil King's eye twitched with thought. A Light Arrow. How would it be possible for that kid to produce something like that...? He would have to have...

Ganondorf was about to fire back with he heard an angry voice from the ground. It came from Gordon.

"Dodge _this_," he had said.

Gordon put his hands out in concentration. Lydia looked at him curiously.

"**_Darkness beyond twilight, crimson beyond blood that flows,  
Buried in the stream of time is where your power grows."_**__

Lydia gripped his shoulder excitedly. "No, you damn fool!" she shouted at her brother. "Not in here!!"

"**_I pledge myself to conquer all the foes who stand,  
Against the mighty gift bestowed in my unworthy hand._"**

"Crap!" Lydia shouted angrily. She dashed at top speed toward the door of the Temple of Time, grabbing Link's wrist as she passed him. "Come on! We have to get outta here!" 

Link stumbled as Lydia pulled him out of the Temple of Time. Ganondorf watched them go, but didn't bother to stop them. He was busy preparing himself for what he knew was coming.

"**_Let the fools who stand before me be destroyed,  
By the power you and I possess!_"**

The Evil King braced himself with everything he had.

"**_DRAGON SLAVE!!!_"**

***

Lydia and Link charged at top speed across the broken bridge and into Hyrule Field, the sorceress still holding onto Link's wrist. In midstride, a monstrous explosion came from behind them, sending a shockwave that knocked them both down. Lydia hid behind Link as the ground shook terribly. The sky, now darkened by the setting sun, was lit brilliantly as the dome of energy became visible, even from their spot in the safety of the field. They shielded their heads with their arms from flying debris that came from the source of the explosion. After several long moments, the Dragon Slave died down and disappeared. All that came after was silence.

Lydia slowly lifted her face off of Link's back and turned her gaze northward. Link lowered his arms and did the same. 

"Do...do you think it worked?" Link asked reluctantly.

"I really can't say," Lydia replied. "That crater down south showed what I did to Ganondorf seven years ago, but he survived. However, I was three years younger than Gordon is now." She worriedly closed her hand over the Sorcerer's Rune. "It probably worked. I hope it worked."

Link rubbed the wrist Lydia had been dragging him by, trying to restore feeling to it. He stopped as soon as he saw the figure flying toward them. 

"Look there!" he warned Lydia as he pointed north.

She looked where he was pointing. Among all the mist and dust, a dark figure was emerging, flying toward them at a high speed.

"That must be him," Lydia figured. "I'll have to give him an earful when he gets here. He knows he can't use that spell in closed spaces."

"Careful," Link warned her cheerfully. "He could probably toast you with that Triforce of Wisdom he has now."

"Oh yeah," the sorceress remembered. "That's so neat that he got that. I wonder why it wasn't me. I think I deserved it more." 

Link laughed outwardly and rolled his eyes. "_You_?" he retorted. "Yeah sure. Think about it for a second. Who's always being the logical one in every situation? Your brother. Who thinks things through before running into things throwing spells? Your brother. If anyone besides Zelda should have that thing, it's him. He was the runner-up."

Lydia didn't even bother to say 'Whatever' like she usually would. She looked toward the dark figure that was getting closer with every second. It quickly emerged from the cloud of smoke and hovered just over Link and Lydia.

Indeed, it was Gordon. However, he was not alone. Ganondorf held him stiffly by the shirt, holding him an arm's length away from himself. The young sorcerer winced in pain and opened his eyes slowly. Before he could do anything, Ganondorf reared his arm and tossed Gordon carelessly toward the ground. Reacting quickly, Link ran under and caught him before he hit.

Lydia began to shriek angrily at the Evil King. "_Damn you!_" she cursed. "Call yourself lucky that I can't use my magic right now. I'd toast you SO badly!"

"Nothing but empty threats," Ganondorf retorted. "You cannot defeat me. Even the Dragon Slave did nothing to me this time. I hold the Triforce of Power, and now the Triforce of Wisdom as well. Like I said before, you're better off just going home."

With those words hanging, Ganondorf laughed evilly and disappeared in a black ball of magic. The three were left to themselves in the desolate Hyrule Field. 

Lydia's eyes never left the spot where Ganondorf had just been. She kept her gaze fixed there, breathing heavily and angrily.

"Empty threats, huh?" she asked softly. "You'll just see what an empty threat is, when you're faced with my secret weapon. And I know how you hate waiting. Don't worry, Ganondorf old buddy, it's almost ready. Be patient – your end will come."

With that, she turned behind her to face her brother and Link. Link was holding Gordon steady by his shoulders, talking to him softly. The sorceress ran over to join them.

"Are you okay?" was the first thing that rolled off her tongue.

Gordon looked at her weakly, then up at the starry sky. "The Dragon Slave..." he began timidly, "had no effect. He resisted it, and then came down on me. And on top of everything, I kinda...demolished the Temple of Time."

"Well, that's just _great_," Lydia muttered. "Our only door to the Sacred Realm has been destroyed."

"Zelda was right – there's nothing we can do to stop him now. We can't go after her and hope to come out alive until we've purified the other parts of Hyrule."

"Having to wait makes me sick," Link admitted angrily. "Damned sick. Zelda's all alone in that horrible castle and we can't do anything about it,"

Lydia laughed in spite of herself. Link and Gordon looked at her, wondering if she was still sane.

"_What_ could possibly be funny right now?" Link asked angrily.

"That idiot Ganondorf thinks Zelda still has the Triforce of Wisdom," she replied heartily. "Zelda's decoy plan is still working, but now it has a new twist, that's all."

"You have to admit," Gordon said, "she's right."

"Then let's be sure to not forget what she said," Link added. "We must protect the Triforces of Wisdom and Courage, and go free the other races." His face darkened as he looked north. "Still.... Poor Zelda..."

Lydia set her hand on his shoulder. "I know, I know."

There was an unsettling silence that followed. Lydia grimaced and sighed angrily. 

"Okay, troops," she said to the boys. "We start tomorrow. We'll set out and free the other races of Hyrule, then we go after the big man himself."

Link sighed pitifully one more time before pulling out his Ocarina to summon Epona. Gordon was too tired and drained to fly, so all three of them squeezed into Epona's saddle and rode toward Kakariko Village. Lydia raised her head and turned her gaze toward the direction of Ganondorf's Castle. Don't worry, she vowed silently. I'll finish my secret weapon and come after you. Just you wait... 


	10. Chapter 10

**_Worlds Apart  
Part II  
By Miss Lydia_****__**

**Chapter 10**

"Chosen one....,"

Lydia snapped alert as the voice spoke. Darkness surrounded her. As she tried to figure out where she was, the voice came again.

"Chosen one, it will fail,"

"Huh? What will fail?" Lydia called to the emptiness.

"What you plan to do on your own will fail," the voice repeated.

"What are you talking about?" Lydia yelled. 

"Even when all seems lost, the last resort will fail," the voice continued. "Only the power of all will defeat the evil."

"When all....._what?_ I don't understand what you're trying to tell me!"

"_Allies will fall, and evil will rise. Even when all seems lost, the last resort will fail. Only the power of all will defeat the evil. Ultimate power will restore the land_."

"I don't understand!"

The voice seemed to drift away as it repeated its warning. "_Allies will fall, and evil will rise. Even when all seems lost, the last resort will fail. Only the power of all will defeat the evil. Ultimate power will restore the land_."

"Hey!" Lydia shrieked back at it. "Come BACK! Don't confuse me like this! I remember when this happened seven years ago! It only gave me more questions to ask!"  
  
"_Only the power of all_.....,"

Before Lydia could protest further, the invisible ground beneath her feet dropped away, and she began to fall deeper into the nothingness. 

And then she awoke with a start. Her wide eyes stared at the ceiling and her breathing was heavy. She sat up, brushing the sheets away. She sighed heavily and sat quietly until her heart slowed.

She looked across the room. Gordon was completely under his covers, and Link was sleeping soundly. 

Lydia grabbed her spell book off the bedside table and opened it, turning it toward the window for the moonlight. She flipped the pages and started to read.

It's almost ready, she said to herself. I don't understand what that dream's little prophecy meant, but I'll have my secret weapon ready for anything that might come.

***

"Hey, where's your sister?" Link asked.

Gordon cracked his spine and yawned loudly. "I dunno," he replied. "Rather odd for her to be up and about so early."

Link pulled his boots on and opened the door. The new day's sunlight flooded in and lit the whole house. Link looked around for Lydia, and found her sitting on the Cucco pen's fence with her eyes locked on Death Mountain. He smiled and waved at her. She took her gaze off the mountain long enough to wave back, then locked her eyes right back north.

Gordon came out of the house, and the two boys joined the sorceress at the Cucco pen.

"You know," Link warned sarcastically, "I wouldn't sit on that fence if I were you. These Cuccos are known to strike at random. They're vicious killers."

Lydia ignored him and changed the subject quickly. "I had a dream," she said quietly.

Gordon crossed his arms. "Was a monster after you?" he joked. To his surprise, his sister didn't hit him or roll her eyes like she usually would. She just kept staring at the mountain.****

"Kid," she asked, "Remember seven years ago, when we both had that dream? In it, a voice told us that 'the time had come'."

"Yeah, I remember that. It was really creepy….like something straight out of a movie."

"The voice came to me again," Lydia continued. "Only what it told me was much more serious this time."  
  
"Just you..." he asked. "I wonder why it ignored me this time."

His sister scoffed. "Believe me, you can have it. I'd prefer it going after you, instead. It only confused the hell out of me."

"What did it say?" Link asked curiously.

"It came with a little prophecy which confused me in ways I can't understand."

"What - did - it - say?" Link asked again, more slowly this time.

Lydia took a breath and repeated the prophecy. "_Allies will fall, and evil will rise. Even when all seems lost, the last resort will fail. Only the power of all will defeat the evil. Ultimate power will restore the land_."

Link scoffed and tapped his boots in the dirt. "You're right. That _is_ confusing."

"Do you have any idea what it means?" Gordon asked.

Lydia shook her head. "I'm not sure, but I have a feeling that something horrible is going to happen. We'll find out as we move along. And our next move is Death Mountain." 

One of the Cuccos cawed from inside the pen, right behind Lydia. The sorceress turned and shooed it away with her hand.

"We need to find the dragon Volvagia and kill it," Link said. "The Gorons will die if we don't."

"I don't think we've ever killed a dragon before," Lydia pointed out. "Do you think we can?"

Gordon shrugged. "There's only one way to find out, really."

The Cucco came back and pecked at Lydia's leg, which was right by the fence. Lydia picked the Cucco up and tossed it away in disgust. 

"Then let's get going as soon as possible," she said. "We'll find this dragon and together we'll kill it! I'm sure we can do it, especially with two Triforce pieces!"

Link nodded confidently. "We'll probably find Volvagia in the Fire Temple, somewhere in the crater. It's rather hot in there, so we'll need to take necessary precautions first."

Lydia began to stand up, but the Cucco was determined to get its revenge now. The bird hopped up onto Lydia's head and began to peck at her wildly. Lydia shrieked loudly and tried to yank the chicken out of her hair. Her arms flew all over the place as she tried to throw it off. Link and Gordon were laughing so hard that they could barely stay standing.

Finally she flung the bird back into the pen. Lydia pointed her finger in the air, and then brought it down hard.

"**_Explosion Array!_**"

The Cucco cawed loudly as it was carried skyward on the pillar of dust and dirt.

Link and Gordon gawked at her. "I thought you couldn't use your magic!" Link said.

"I'm getting there," Lydia declared happily as the dazed Cucco finally hit the ground behind her. "Well, I can't cast anything big yet, but I can handle smaller spells."

"_That's_ a small spell?" Gordon asked.

Before Lydia could answer, the messed up Cucco righted itself and cawed very loudly into the sky. Lydia turned to look at it as it cawed again.

"Um...what's it doing?" she asked.

Link began to back away slowly. "Uh oh....,"

"What? What's it doing?"****

Suddenly, beating wings could be heard everywhere. Dozens upon dozens of Cuccos began to fly out of nowhere, and they were all coming right toward the three travelers.

Link turned and sprinted away. "Run!"

The sorcerers followed his example and bolted across town, constantly beating away the attack Cuccos. The crazed birds were dropping out of the sky in all directions, pecking madly at the three as they ran.

Lydia stumbled and went down in no time. As soon as she pulled her face out of the dirt, she saw a wall of Cuccos coming right for her, shrieking hell as they got close.

"Eeek! **Bomb Di Wing!!**"

The wall of birds was blown in a different direction. Lydia jumped to her feet and caught up to the boys as they dashed through the entrance of Death Mountain trail. 

After they were a ways up the trail and clear of Kakariko, the three stopped and leaned against the canyon wall. The trail was quiet, save for their heavy breathing. Link swallowed hard and sighed.

"See? I _told_ you they were vicious killers," he said as he pulled a Cucco feather out of his hair.

Lydia slugged him in the shoulder, then pushed off the wall and started walking.

"It seemed you knew what was about to happen back there," she said. "Do you normally pick on chickens?"

Link shrugged. "I was a curious child, okay? I was trying to play with one and that same thing happened."

"_Playing_ with it? More like you were trying to have it for _dinner_."

"Okay, you two," Gordon interrupted sternly. "Let's just drop it there."

Lydia shrugged and started up the trail. "The kid's right," she called back to the boys. "The sooner we get moving, the sooner I can stuff my secret weapon down Ganondorf's throat."****

Gordon and Link ran ahead and walked on either side of the sorceress.

"You mean it's finally ready?" Gordon asked.

"_Maaayyybbeeeee...._" Lydia replied slyly.

"Come ON!" Link pestered her, "What is your secret weapon?"

"As the Japanese say, _Sore wa himitsu desu_."

".....What?"

"That means 'it's a secret'."

"Come on!" Link began to run in tight circles around her, determined to _annoy_ the answer out of her if he had to. "Tell me tell me tell me tell me TELL ME!"

Lydia tripped him as he circled around again, and he went sailing into the canyon wall.

"Link's right, you know," Gordon defended. "You've been keeping us in suspense all this time. What's your secret weapon?"

"Well, I won't tell you everything. I can't risk Ganondorf finding out too much about it."

Link pushed off the wall and caught up to her. "What are you willing to say then?"

"I'll say that it's a spell, and it's a unique Lydia-spell. I've been working on it for a good five years, and it's finally complete."

"Is it really powerful? Like the Dragon Slave or something?" 

"I'm not saying how powerful it is or what it does. You never know if Ganondorf may be watching us _right_ now."

"She's right," Gordon said. "He probably is, knowing him."

Link smirked and began yelling to the sky. "We're gonna _get_ you! You hear me?! You're DEAD!!"

Lydia promptly tripped him again, sending him to the ground.

"You wanna wake some Re-Deads or something, Dodongo Buster?" she laughed.****

Link raised his head and looked up at her. "Oh _no_...," he whined quietly. "Where did you hear _that_ name?"

Lydia started laughing loudly. "I heard it from a little Goron while you were sulking in Kakariko. A little Goron named Link. He said his dad....Darunia.....or something....named him after the Dodongo Buster and Hero, Link."

Link grimaced and stood up, brushing the dirt off of his tunic. "You'll never let me live this one down, will you?"

"Nope!"

"Okay, enough, you guys," Gordon scolded. "We're almost to Goron City."

"Yeah, Dodongo Buster!" Lydia teased, lightly tugging on one of Link's ears. "Move faster!" With that, she sprinted up the trail.

Link sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "You'd think she'd grow up a little by the time she was seventeen."

"Why?" Gordon asked. "It's not like _you_ have."

Before Link could absorb that one, Gordon was up the trail like a flash. Link stared after the sorcerers and laughed to himself.

"Those two are really a pair. Can I really survive the rest of this little adventure?"

Lydia's voice boomed from the end of the trail. "Move it or lose it, Dodongo Buster! You're holding up the party!"

Link suddenly sparked an idea. He recalled Gordon told him of a nickname that followed Lydia around, and she _hated_ it. _It's payback time_, he thought.

"Coming, Litter Box!"

Up ahead, Lydia threw her head back and shrieked, and then grabbed her brother by the shirt collar and began to shake him violently. "You little slime!" she screamed at him. "I told you not to tell anyone!"

Gordon only laughed and played dead, slumping down to the canyon floor.

Link laughed and ran to Gordon's rescue, only to get attacked by the angry sorceress when he got there. 

***

"Do you realize you left a bruise on my shoulder?" Link complained.

Lydia looked around the empty Goron City. "Quiet. Call me that again and I'll leave more than a bruise."

Gordon joined her and looked down toward the bottom floor of the city. "Still as empty as it was last time. I don't even see the little Goron anywhere."

"He's probably hiding. If I were him, I'd hide, too."

She looked behind her in time to see Link pull a bright red tunic over his green one.  
  
"What's that for?" she asked him.

"It's heat resistant," he replied. "We're going into the crater, aren't we?"

"Well, Mr. I'm-Always-Prepared-For-Everything, do you have red tunics for us, too?"

"I assumed you had some kind of protection spell against heat. Don't you?"

"No."

"Yes." Gordon intervened quickly.

His sister looked at him. "We do?"

"You're not the only one who's been snooping through the spell book. I have a little spell of my own. I didn't bother to name it, but I made it one really hot summer a few years back. It lasts several hours, too."

Lydia shrugged and walked to the edge of the walkway. "Okay, then. That solves _that _problem. Now, how do we get into the crater?"

Link thought hard for a second. "Well, we could go in the long way, through the entrance at the top of the mountain. But that won't land us anywhere near the temple, and we'd have to fly over the giant lava pit, and I find that idea to be rather unsettling."

"Is there any other way in?" Gordon asked.

"I don't know..., but I vaguely recall Darunia mentioned some sort of passage to the temple in his room. But I don't remember seeing any type of passage in there."

"Where's Darunia's room?" Lydia asked quickly.

"On the bottom floor."

Lydia turned and jumped off the walkway, toward the center of Goron City. Halfway down, she said "**Levitation**," and landed softly on the bottom level. She turned and looked up to the top, waving her whole arm at the boys still at the top. 

Gordon shrugged and grasped Link's arm. "Whatever works, I guess. **Levitation.**"

Without waiting for them to land, Lydia started through a long hallway that ended in a large room with several lit fire braziers. It was draped with decorations, and there was a large statue against the back wall that Lydia thought to be rather ugly. It looked like a big monkey.

"Find anything?" she heard Link ask as he and Gordon finally followed her in.

"I haven't really looked yet."

"Typical."

"At least I didn't take my sweet time coming down here, like you did, Dodongo Buster."

"Whatever you say, Litter Box."

Lydia snarled and punched Gordon in the arm, making sure to hit the bone with her pointy knuckles.

"You had it coming," Gordon said, rubbing his arm. "….Let's start looking around. If that passage exists, we should be able to find it."

Link glanced all around the room, and then stopped on the giant monkey statue in the back.****

"Hey, crazy girl," he said, thoughtfully putting his hand on his chin. "That thing has a striking resemblance to you. Did you know that?"

In a flash, Lydia had Link's collar in her fist and her face was right up to his.

"You've really been asking for it all day, Long Ears. Are you feeling suicidal or something?" she threatened.

"Joke, Lydia," he replied sarcastically. "Do you know what that means? Say it with me, okay? J-o-k-e."

The sorceress jabbed him hard in the ribs and let go. "Let's just start looking." 

And so they began combing through the room, checking under all the tables and in all the cracks of the walls. Link eventually came to the big monkey statue in the back of the room. He moved his fingers across it, looking for some kind if switch or something. He didn't find one, but he thought he felt hot air coming from behind it. 

"Hey, come here," he called to the sorcerers. "See if you feel hot air over here."

Lydia and Gordon joined him near the statue and moved their hands around the walls near it.

"I think I feel it, too," Gordon announced. "Seems like it's coming from behind this thing."

Link rubbed his hands together and got a good finger hold on the statue. He gritted his teeth and heaved backward, and the statue slid sluggishly away from the wall, revealing a dark passage through the wall.

"Bingo!" Lydia shouted happily. She gave Link a playful slap on the back and ran in, disappearing into the darkness.

"Hey, wait a second!" Gordon shouted after her.

Link smirked and crossed his arms. "Don't worry, she'll be right back."

Gordon looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "Now, Link, you know her better than that. She always wants to be first. She's not gonna 'be right back'. We'll just have to –"

Before Gordon could finish, Lydia came charging back into Darunia's room. She leaned on the monkey statue, breathing heavily and fanning herself off with both hands.

Link smirked and looked at Gordon. "Told you."

"It's so HOT in there!" Lydia shouted. "It's like a volcano!"

"......That's what it is," Gordon said. "A volcano."

"Didn't I warn you about that?" Link asked.

Lydia glanced at him, then looked at Gordon. "So, how about that spell now? Otherwise, I ain't going in there."

Gordon chuckled and made a strange movement with his hand. Instantly, Lydia felt like all the heat was lifted away, as if the inside of her clothes was air-conditioned.

"_Now_ we can go in," Gordon said.****

The three entered the dark passage. After walking a little ways, the passage opened up into a huge area. They were inside Death Mountain, in the crater. Below them was a huge pool of red magma. Above them, the ceiling opened up to show the sky. Also visible was the red ring of fire that hung above the mountain. Lydia looked around, now that she could stand the heat. Various bridges connected the sections of earth sticking out of the sides of the volcano. Over on the left side was another dark passage. It was very large, and two columns of rock stood on either side of it.

Link saw where she was looking and spoke up. "I'll bet that's the Fire Temple down there," he said.

"Have you ever been in there?" Gordon asked.

"No," he replied, "but it's the only thing in here that looks like an entrance to anything."

"Looks like a cave to me," Lydia announced. "Not a _temple_."

"Perhaps so," Gordon said, "but I doubted the Fire Temple would be labeled with a big, neon glowing sign or something. The only way to see if that cave over there is where we need to be is to go down there."

"Okay, how do we get down there?"

Link stepped forward and looked down off of the little cliff they were standing on. The cave was also on a cliff, across the lava pit. Connecting them was a tattered wooden bridge that was broken in one place.

"Watch your step," Link advised as he headed toward the bridge. After getting a running start, he sprinted down the bridge and _leapt_ clear over the broken part, landing safely on the other half of the bridge. He straightened up and looked back. Lydia was jumping up and down, absolutely angry.

"You cocky, psychotic idiot!" she shrieked. "You're gonna get yourself killed before we even GET to the dragon!"

Gordon laughed and eyed his sister. "You're just mad that he can jump that far and you know you can't."

"ARGH! I'll never understand boys! You're all insane! You all go and risk your neck just to show off to a girl as cute as me!"

"Who's showing off?" Link asked loudly. "I just don't trust you enough to fly me over the lava. Besides, who says you're cute?"

Without a word, Lydia flew over to the other end of the bridge and landed next to Link. She grabbed hold of his ear and started pulling him toward the cave, just like a schoolteacher would do to a troublesome child. Link moaned and complained the whole way.

"Aw, come on, it was a joke! Let go! Let go! Ow! You're gonna pull it _off!_"

Gordon still hadn't moved from his place on the cliff. _I wonder what lies ahead_, he wondered to himself. _Can we really defeat a dragon? Tektites and Stalfos are one thing, but a full-fledged dragon?_

He continued to question the matter as he flew over the bridge. _I sure hope we're ready for this_, he thought. 

As soon as Lydia finally let go of his ear, Link led them into the little cave. It didn't go in very far. At the end of the cave, there was a hole in the floor.

Lydia scoffed loudly. "Well, no temple here."

"Hang on," Link said. "This may just be the entrance."

He and Gordon went forward to check the hole in the floor. Lydia peered down the hole and saw that it was very deep. Along one side was a very long ladder. There was light, barely visible, coming from somewhere at the bottom.

Link pointed at the ladder and looked at Lydia. "See?"

Lydia sat down on the ground next to the ladder and crossed her legs. "Okay," she said, "that's all well and good. But I have just one question before we go down there."

The boys sat down at the other end of the hole. "What's that?" Link asked.

"How do we suppose to kill this dragon, when and if we can find it?"

Everyone thought for a moment. It was true that they'd never tackled something as big and powerful as a dragon before. 

"Maybe," Gordon suggested, "a Dragon Slave will do the trick. Or Lydia's secret weapon?"

"First off," Lydia said quickly, raising a finger. "I'm saving my secret weapon for Ganondorf, and for a good reason. Second, I can't cast any of my big spells, remember?"

Gordon suddenly stuck his finger in Lydia's face. "HA!" he taunted. "So you admit it IS a big spell like the Dragon Slave!"

Link slapped his knee and laughed. "Good one! She sure fell for _that_."

Lydia pursed her lips and grunted. "I'll _temporarily_ let that one slide," she said. "But as soon as we get back outside, I owe you guys an Explosion Array."

Gordon shrugged. "Whatever you say, Litter."

"A Dragon Slave," Link cut in, "would probably be a bad idea….now that I think about it."

"Why?" Lydia asked.

"Have you noticed how little space we have? A Dragon Slave destroyed almost the entire lower half of Hyrule Field, remember? That spell would not only destroy the entire mountain, it would probably toast Kakariko, too. Not to mention, the three of us would be caught in the middle of it."

Gordon rested his chin on his hand. "Good point," he said. "I guess that idea's out."

"We'll just have to do something smaller," Lydia said, not caring that she was stating the painfully obvious.

Gordon raised his head and glanced at Link. "What about our Triforce pieces?" he suggested.

"Hmmm...," Link thought. "Well, perhaps we could use that power to charge up something, like a weapon."

"Can your Master Sword do the job?" 

Link shrugged. "I really have no idea. It's supposedly all-powerful, but against a dragon? I dunno." 

Before anyone else could speak, a shadow moved in the corner. Acting completely on reflexes and instinct, Link jumped to his feet and drew the Master Sword. A figure stepped out of the corner. It was a small Goron. His brown coloring had camouflaged him against the cave wall.

Lydia stood and smiled. "Oh, _there_ you are," she said.

Link sheathed his sword and looked at her. "Who's this?"

The sorceress smiled at him. "Link, meet Link," she said. Then she looked at the Goron. "Link, this is Link."

The Goron waddled forward in a flash. "You're the Dodongo Buster and Hero, Link!" he shouted.

Lydia clapped her hand over her mouth and snorted, trying very hard to stop laughing. Link – the Hylian – kicked her in the shin, then bent down to the little Goron Link.

"Where did you come from, little guy?" he asked.

Goron Link smiled, revealing his very large teeth. "I got here just before you all did," he said.

"This place is dangerous," Gordon said. "You were supposed to stay in Goron City."

"I know," the Goron said, "but I was worried about Dad. He went to try to stop the dragon, and didn't come back, so I came to find him. When I heard you all coming, I hid."

Goron Link looked at Hylian Link and smiled again. "I think I know what can help you defeat Volvagia."

Lydia jumped forward and stopped in front of the little Goron. "Really?" she asked excitedly.

"Yeah, I heard everything you guys said. Volvagia lived a long time ago, and was destroyed by the Hero of the Gorons with the Megaton Hammer. With Volvagia gone, the Hero hid the hammer in the temple somewhere. But now the dragon has been revived, so the hammer will have to be used again."

"So," Link said, "we have to find this hammer first. No, the Gorons first, then the hammer, then the dragon."

Lydia straightened up. "Sounds like a plan to me! And a plan is just what we needed! Let's get moving!" Without a second glance, she turned around and jumped down into the hole, ignoring the ladder completely. "**Levitation!**"

Gordon looked at Goron Link, then Hylian Link, and then jumped down into the hole himself. "**Levitation.**"

Link watched him disappear, and then knelt down to the Goron. "We'll take care of everything. You go home to Goron City, and _stay there_, okay?"

"I will if you give me your autograph when you come back."

Link smiled and stood up. "It's a deal."

Goron Link waved his enormous arm, then tucked into a ball and rolled out of the cave, back toward Goron City.

Link started down the long ladder toward the temple below. "Well," he said to himself. "I sure hope we can pull this off."

Suddenly, he heard a voice ring out from below him. 

"Come ON, Elf boy!" It was Lydia. "Hurry up! I'm ready to kick some dragon tail and you're up there taking your time. Move it!"

_Funny_, Link thought to himself, _I'm beginning to worry less and less about that dragon, and more and more about surviving around this girl. She's gonna be the end of me._


	11. Chapter 11

_Worlds Apart_**_  
By Miss Lydia_**__

**Chapter 11**

"Well? This is the Fire Temple. Go on in, Gordon."

"Um, no. Ladies first, I insist."

"No, really, _you_ go in first."

"Are you crazy? I'm not goin' in there first."

Link crossed his arms across his chest and sighed loudly as Gordon and Lydia continued to bicker with each other as siblings do.

"Who knows what's right inside that door?" Lydia said. "I'm NOT going in first."

"You're the most powerful of the three of us, though," Gordon argued. "YOU go in first."

"Not at the moment, I'm not!"

"OKAY," Link cut in loudly, uncrossing his arms. "_I'll_ go in first."

The two sorcerers looked at Link. "…Nah," Lydia said, "that's okay, Link. You don't have to go risking your back on my behalf. You've certainly done that enough. I'll go in first."

"Hold on there!" Gordon shouted. "I'm not letting you go in there first! You don't have all your powers back yet."

"Even so, I'm still powerful! You'll just get yourself hurt. I'll go in!"

"No, you'll stay here until I see if it's safe to go in."

"Like hell you will!"

Before Gordon could say anything back, Link's voice came from ahead of them. 

"It's safe!" he called. "You two can come in anytime you feel like getting around to it."

Lydia and Gordon looked toward the temple. In their argument, they hadn't noticed Link had squeezed by them and entered the temple first.

"Well," Lydia said, "I guess that settles that."

"Nope," Gordon said, "I'm still going in before you." Like a flash, Gordon ran past and joined Link inside the temple. After swearing at him, Lydia caught up.

Lydia looked around them. The inside of the Fire Temple was stained red, just like the rest of the crater. She could see the heat rising from the floor. Ahead of them were some stairs, and two doors on either wall. 

The sorceress started to move forward, but Link suddenly stepped in front of her and pulled out his bow. He held it toward the ceiling and let two arrows go. Two Fire Keese that were hiding in the corner squeaked and fell to the floor.

"Good eye," Gordon commented.

Link smirked proudly.

"Well," Lydia said, "looks like we have two choices, guys. A door on the right, and a door on the left."

"I hope whichever we choose leads to the Gorons."

"And the Megaton Hammer," Link added.

Gordon looked at the right door. "I wonder how much time we have left to rescue the Gorons."

Suddenly, a terrifying roar sounded from somewhere deep in the mountain. The temple shook violently. The trio fought to keep their balance as the walls of the temple creaked and moaned.

When the roar died down and the shaking finally stopped, Lydia grasped Link's arm tightly. 

"Something tells me we don't have much time at all," she said.

Link nodded. "I think you're right."

"So," Gordon asked quietly, "where do we start?"

Link glanced up at the left door, then the right door, thinking hard to himself. Then he turned to face the sorcerers.

"We're almost out of time," he said. "We'll have to split up."

"_Split up_?" Lydia asked with a strong hint of objection in her voice. "Link, that's entirely _not _cool. That's what all the people in the horror movies do, and they always die! I don't want to split up!"

"But I think I see what he means," Gordon said. "We have two things to find: the Gorons and that hammer. We don't have time to search together."

"Right," Link said. "Here's what we'll do. You two go find the Gorons and set them free. I'll look around and see if I can find the hammer."

"……All right, all right," Lydia said, "It sounds like a good plan. If we have to split up…. Gordon and I will take the left door."

"Whether or not we find what we need," Gordon added, "we'll meet back in this room."

With a parting nod, Link turned and headed for the right door. Lydia and Gordon went left. As Gordon opened the door, Lydia turned around and waved cheerfully.

"Good luck, Dodongo Buster!"

At the other end of the chamber, Link shouted "You, too, Litter!" Without waiting for her reaction, he slipped through the open door and closed it behind him with a loud creak of age.

Lydia sighed and looked at her brother. "Let's get going."

With that, the sorcerers quietly slipped though the door. The main chamber was once again quiet. 

***

_By Fanore_, Link thought to himself. _This room is huge._

Right on the other side of the door he stepped through was a truly humongous room. The floor was a giant lava pit and there was a door on the other side of the room. A long, creaky wooden bridge extended across the entire room. Fire Keese flew all around the ceiling, and flaming skulls frequently jumped out of the lava.

With a silent word of caution to himself, Link started across the bridge as quickly as he could. The bridge cracked and swayed under his feet, but he did not slow. His only thought was to find the hammer, and make it back to the temple entrance.

Without warning, a Fire Keese rammed itself into Link's shoulder as he ran by. Link winced in pain as his tunic caught fire. The flames burned themselves out rather quickly, leaving no damage behind. Link's red tunic was fire resistant as well.

Swearing every oath he knew, Link turned to face the bat. The Keese, having rammed itself into its enemy, was no longer covered with flame and was defenseless. It turned in midair and flew away as fast as it could.

"Seems they're smarter than I thought," Link said to himself as he pulled out his bow and released an arrow. "Won't save him, though."

With the bat out of the way, Link continued across the bridge. He was about halfway across when his acute ears picked up a faint screeching sound coming from all around him. Looking up, he saw a huge group of Fire Keese coming at him from all directions. Completely surrounded, Link quickly looked around for a way out. All the while, the Keese closed the circle of safety around the Hylian.

A platform moving freely across the lava came close to the bridge, and suddenly Link knew what to do. Reaching under his shield, he pulled out a large blue bomb. As the Keese got closer, Link lit the bomb's fuse and set it on the bridge in front of him. He stood there and waited a few more seconds to lure the Keese close. Just when the Keese were almost on him, the lit bomb trembled violently. Link dove off the side of the bridge onto the platform, landing on his stomach. Without standing, he covered his head with his arms. 

Behind him, the Keese didn't react quickly enough to Link's sudden movement and the entire group rammed into each other. The bats untangled themselves quickly and tried to fly away. Inches below them, the bomb exploded. The group of Fire Keese was blown in several different directions and disappeared from view. With a charred mark on the bridge and a puff of smoke, the bomb showed its victory. 

Link stood and brushed off, quite happy with himself. With a quick jump, he was back on the bridge and heading toward the other door. As he opened it, he thought he heard a very faint growling sound, but wasn't sure. He stood very still for a moment to see if it would come again, but it didn't. Shrugging his shoulders, he stepped into the room and closed the door behind him.

At the far wall of the room was a chest. 

Link's face brightened. _Only one thing could be in that chest,_ he thought, _and that's just what I need._

As he started forward, the growling sound came again, louder and distinguishable this time. The ground shook slightly under Link's feet.

"Damn," he cursed, "I knew it couldn't be that easy."

***

"Well, that was simple," Lydia said happily. "Mission accomplished."

Gordon and Lydia had found themselves in a room with an elevated floor. Farther down was a lava pit. Several raised platforms allowed passage around the room. At the far wall of the room was a very large door with a dragonhead etched into the stone. In the farthest corner of the room was a big prison cell with iron bars. Inside the cell were about 15 frightened Gorons.

Gordon grimaced and pointed to the door with the dragon on it. "D'ya think that's where Volvagia is?" he asked.

"Possibly," Lydia answered. "Let's move quietly. The last thing we want to do at this point is announce to it that we're here messing up its plans."

The sorcerers hopped from platform to platform until they reached the cell. One of the Gorons sat up and looked at them. It then nudged another Goron next to him. The second Goron sat up and looked at Lydia and Gordon as well.

The first Goron asked the second "Am I dreaming?"

The second Goron recoiled his huge arm and punched the first in the head. The first Goron held its head and groaned.

"Hey!" he complained. "What'd you do that for? That _hurt_."

"Then you're not dreaming, are you?" the second replied. "Someone has actually come to help us."

At this point, all the Gorons were awake and looking at the sorcerers.

"Hi there," Lydia said to them quietly. "We're friends of Link's. We're here to bust you out."

"Dodongo Buster and Hero Link sent them!" a Goron in the back shouted. "They must be heroes, too!"

Lydia chuckled under her breath after hearing Link's nickname again. She quickly stopped as soon as she heard a growl and a snort. _Could that be Volvagia?_ she wondered to herself.

"Shh!" Gordon quieted the Gorons. "We need to be _very_ quiet. That dragon might be close."

Lydia tapped her brother on the shoulder and whispered in his ear. "I think the dragon is _very_ close. Most likely in the next room."

Gordon quietly walked to the door of the cell and tried to open it, but it was shut tight. He turned to Lydia and shook his head.

"There must be a key around here somewhere," she whispered.

The closest Goron stuck his face close to the bars and whispered in his deep voice. "I don't know where one is. The door was closed and it wouldn't open again."

Lydia sighed and gently pushed Gordon away from the door. "Then we'll just have to take care of it the slow, somewhat quiet way." She crouched down to the cell door's lock and held her hand about six inches from it. As quietly as she could, she whispered "**Digger Volt.**"

Instead of a huge blast of electrical energy, a very small bolt of electricity extended from her hand and snaked its way into the lock. Lydia held the lighting there and continued to concentrate.

Gordon found the way she was controlling the spell to be rather interesting, but his attention was jerked away when he heard a soft growl from somewhere near them. _She was right_, he thought, _Volvagia is very close_. He knelt down beside his sister and whispered harshly "Hurry up. I think the dragon is coming."

"I'm working on it," she replied defiantly. As she held the electricity in place, the lock to the door suddenly began to melt and lose its shape. Within seconds, the lock had completely melted. The door swung free with a loud creaking sound. Lydia cringed and grabbed the door, stopping its movement. Any sound like that will have the dragon on them in no time. 

"The door just _had_ to be old and rusty," she snarled. "As if we didn't have enough problems."

"Kind of figures, doesn't it?" Gordon said.

"Here, I'm gonna try something. Gimmie a boost."

"Wha—"

Before Gordon could finish, Lydia grabbed hold of his head and pushed him toward the ground. Gordon, on his hands and knees, winced as Lydia grabbed hold of the bars for balance, then climbed up on his back. With the extra height, she reached for the top hinge of the cell door.

"**Aqua Create.**"

A small column of sparkling water fell from her hand and trickled through the top hinge, then fell down to the next hinge, then the next. Lydia jumped off her brother's back and started to open the door. With the hinges wet, the door swung open soundlessly. But because of the extreme heat in the room, the water dried up quickly, and the door creaked loudly just as Lydia finished swinging it wide open.

Gordon gritted his teeth as the door creaked. Suddenly, a dragon's mournful roar shook the room. Volvagia knew they were there.

Lydia jumped to the side and motioned the Gorons through. "Move it! Move it!" she shouted, no longer worrying about keeping quiet. "He's coming!"

Moving faster than one would've ever thought them capable, the Gorons zoomed through the door and disappeared from the room. Once back into the entrance, they all balled up and rolled with incredible speed out of the Fire Temple, back toward the safety of Goron City. 

Back in the cell room, Lydia grabbed Gordon's arm. "Volvagia's coming! We need to get outta here or we'll be lunch!"

With quick words of magic, the two sorcerers flew over the lava pit and, after blasting it open with a spell, through the door. They were back in the first room. The entrance to the temple was in sight. Suddenly, Lydia landed at the bottom of the stairs and turned back toward the temple.

"We have to find Link first!" she shouted. "The dragon will kill him if we leave him behind!"

As Gordon landed beside her, the entire temple began to shake. Parts of the wall began to fall. It seemed that the whole temple was going to come down on top of them. 

Before either of the sorcerers could move, the entire left side of the room exploded. Lydia and Gordon were thrown through the air, landing hard on the other side of the room. Pieces of the left wall flew all over the place, landing all around them.

The sorcerers stood quickly and looked across the room. The left wall was almost completely gone. And coming through it was what Lydia thought was a humongous snake. It was easily 100 feet long. It flew through the air as if slithering on the ground. It had two clawed arms and a large, fanged head. The creature stopped just inside of the room and reared its head back. The snake's huge horns gleamed in the head as it let loose a horrifying roar that echoed throughout the whole temple. Fire shot from its mouth and webbed across the ceiling, heating up the room so much that, even with Gordon's spell in effect, the sorcerers could feel it. Lydia realized that it wasn't just a flying snake. It was the dragon. It was too late – Volvagia had found them.

The tough girl on the outside gave way to the scared little girl on the inside as Lydia screamed in terror. 

***

Link looked around defensively. There was definitely something else in the room with him. He took another step forward and glared around the room. 

"Show yourself!" he shouted into the air bravely.

Answering his challenge, an overlarge creature fell from seemingly nowhere and landed in the center of the room. The large creature shook the floor so badly that Link lost his balance and fell. Stalking around the center of the room was a Dodongo. However, Link noted that it was not like any Dodongo he had ever seen. It was at least three times as large as the biggest one he'd ever run into, and looked about five times as fierce.

Link stood carefully as the giant Dodongo stared him down, hissing at him. Link sized up his foe and began to circle slowly around it.

"Well," he said to himself, "I suppose this is the real test of the Dodongo Buster and Hero."

Link drew his sword and quickened his pace around the Dodongo. He knew that these creatures, while very large and very dangerous, were also very slow. As the Hylian circled around it, the Dodongo tried to follow him. The agile elf was too fast for it and was quickly behind it. Link raised his sword high and slammed the sharp edge down on the Dodongo's tail. The overlarge lizard roared in pain and fell on its stomach. 

With unusual speed, the Dodongo jumped to its feet and swung around. Link barely jumped out of the way in time of the swinging tail. The Dodongo sucked in a breath and let loose a stream of fire. Link side-flipped out of the path of the flames and continued to circle the lizard.

"Ah," he said to it, "It seems you're a bit faster than regular Dodongos, aren't you?"

Making a note of that detail, Link slammed his sword down on the lizard's tail again, then quickly jumped out of the way before the Dodongo could attack him. The Dodongo flew around and breathed fire again. Link was again too fast for it.

Link was ready to continue this pattern when he heard the dragon's roar far in the distance. He snarled and looked at the Dodongo that was slowly crawling closer to him. 

"It seems I don't have time to play around with you," he said. "Time for a change in strategy."

After a running start, Link leapt clear over the Dodongo's gaping mouth and did a front hand spring right off its back, landing at its tail. Link swung the Master Sword as he turned, hitting the tail hard. As the Dodongo began to swirl around, Link flipped through the air and landed on the creature's back again. The Dodongo didn't seem to notice. As it began to draw in its breath for the fire attack, Link's quick hands produced another bomb, lit it, and set it in front of the Dodongo's mouth. It sucked the bomb right in.

After a quick smile of triumph, Link leapt off the creature's back and fled toward the farthest corner of the room. The Dodongo turned to chase him, but didn't get too far. Its stomach suddenly expanded and the bomb inside exploded. The creature fell and began to flash a bright color. 

As a final defense, a defeated Dodongo's corpse explodes like a bomb. It usually catches its naive attacker off guard and destroys _him_ as well. But Link, being the "Dodongo Buster", knew what was coming. And since this Dodongo was overlarge, the explosion would be overlarge as well.

Link crouched on the ground with his back in the corner and hid behind his shield. The corpse exploded, and it was indeed a large blast. Chunks of rock fell off the ceiling and all walls. Link moved the shield from in front of him to a position over his head. Large chunks of rock fell from the ceiling, hitting the raised shield repeatedly.

Finally the room stilled again, and all that was left of the Dodongo was a charred spot in the middle of the room. The only thing left was the treasure chest in the back. 

Link smiled to himself. "They don't call me Dodongo Buster for nothing, I guess."

He sheathed his sword and hung his shield over his shoulder, then started toward the chest. He opened it to find only one item sitting in the bottom. The Megaton Hammer. Smiling, he reached in and tried to lift it with one hand. When that failed, Link reached in with his other hand and heaved the hammer out of the chest, making an exaggerated estimate that the hammer weighed a good 800 pounds. He gritted his teeth as he held it with both hands.

"Geez," he muttered quietly. "It really _would_ take a Goron Hero to use this thing effectively. Now I understand why they call it the Mega_Ton_ Hammer."

Suddenly, Link heard a loud crash, like part of the temple had fallen apart. A dragon roared loudly. Then he thought he had heard a faint scream in the distance.

"_Cripes!!_" Link cursed. "Volvagia!"

Without another thought, Link bounded through the door and sprinted across the wooden bridge, back toward the temple's entrance. 

***

Volvagia hissed loudly and began flying around the large room. Lydia and Gordon stayed close to each other in the center of the room, watching the dragon. Volvagia continued to fly in circles around them, but didn't attack. 

"It's like he's stalling on purpose," Gordon muttered. "Like he's just playing with us."

"We need to do some stalling, too," Lydia replied, "until Link can get here. Let's just hope he found that hammer."

"Would you like to start?"

"I would, thank you."

Lydia took a few steps forward as the dragon continued to circle them. Volvagia stopped and hovered in air, his big red eyes fixed on the sorceress. To him, she was a weak little human. Easy lunch. He opened his gaping mouth and prepared to attack.

"So you like to play, huh?" Lydia shouted bravely. "Play with this!" She held her hand above her head, pointing her middle and index fingers at the ceiling and began to chant.

"_You who crosses between sky and earth, gently flowing water, gather in my hand and give me power._" 

Beams of white energy appeared from the walls of the temple and traveled through the air to Lydia's fingers as she recited the spell. Volvagia drew in a breath for the attack he would use to kill his next meal.

"**Demona Crystal!**" Lydia threw her raised hand toward the dragon, but all that extended from it was a small puff of ice fog. Nothing happened. 

Volvagia reared its head and blew its fire attack at the confused sorceress. Gordon flew at her from the side and carried her out of the path of the flames. He hovered near the ceiling, trying hard to keep his hold on his sister as she kicked and punched at the air angrily.

"Argh!!" she shrieked. "I can't believe I'm _still_ not powerful enough for a spell like that!"

"I guess you'll need to stick to the smaller stuff," Gordon said.

"Okay, listen, it's a fire dragon. Use as many ice spells as you can."

"Right!"

Gordon flew back down to the ground as Volvagia started circling the room again. He dropped Lydia and flew back up to meet the dragon. He flew within range of the dragon's head and attacked.

"**Icicle Lance!**" A thick beam of ice energy slammed Volvagia straight in the eye. The dragon whipped its head back in pain and roared loudly. Volvagia whipped its tail around at Gordon. Gordon quickly flew out of the way, barely missing the flaming tail.

Back on the ground, Lydia held her arms as if holding a bow and arrow.

"**Freeze Arrow!**" The arrow of ice energy pierced Volvagia's monstrous nose. The dragon shrieked and flailed its clawed arms around, then swung its tail at Lydia. She tried to move, but the tail slammed her in the back, sending her spinning into the front fall. She slid to the floor and didn't get up.

Gordon was rather pissed off. "**Dynast Breath!!**"

A thick ice fog appeared around the dragon, and he was frozen in place in a sheet of ice. Gordon took the opportunity to fly down and check on his sister. But before he got far, the dragon suddenly broke out of the ice. Gordon was caught completely off guard. Ordinarily, that spell kills whatever's frozen inside, but Volvagia was too powerful. The dragon burst out of its icy prison and swung his tail at Gordon, hitting him this time. He slammed into the wall and landed next to Lydia.

By this time, Volvagia was sure that it was dinnertime. He hovered close to the ground and put his face close to his next meal. Lydia and Gordon each opened an eye when they could feel the dragon breathing on them. Lydia lifted her arm to attack, but dropped it again weakly. Volvagia opened his fanged mouth, roared softly, hissed, and drew in its breath for the kill. The sorcerers backed closer to the wall, both seeing the end in sight.

A red blur suddenly dashed between the sorcerers and Volvagia. A loud clang was heard, and the dragon reared back in pain and fell to the floor across the room. Lydia looked to the side at the red blur that had just attacked Volvagia. 

Link was standing there, clutching a huge steel hammer. It looked heavy; he was holding onto it with both hands. Lydia nudged her brother with her elbow.

"He found it!" she said.

Gordon smiled and waved at Link. "Great timing, as always!"

Link smiled back at them, and then turned his attention to the dragon, who had pulled himself off the floor. Volvagia hissed loudly at the Hero of Time and bared his huge teeth.

Link waved the hammer in the air and shouted at the dragon. "You want some more? Come on!"

He started running toward the back of the room, trying to lead the dragon away from Lydia and Gordon. The dragon decided that the little red pest looked tastier, and followed him, turning his scaly back to the sorcerers. 

Lydia stood painfully and helped her brother up. "Link's giving us the chance we need," Lydia said. "Let's not waste it."

"Right," Gordon said, preparing another spell. 

Lydia looked at the dragon. It repeatedly snapped its jaws toward the ground, each time narrowly missing Link, who was running around like a rabbit.

"I just wish I could use the Demona Crystal!" she snarled loudly. "That dragon would be in trouble then! _Damn_ that time of the month!!"

Gordon raised his arms to attack. "Have you tried the Sorcerer's Rune?" he asked, then he ran forward. "**Howl Freeze!!**" Again the dragon was frozen in ice, but this time Gordon knew it would hold him longer. 

Back by the wall, Lydia's mouth hung open. _Of course!_, she thought to herself. _What an idiot! The Sorcerer's Rune should give me the extra power I need! Stupid stupid stupid!_

She dashed away from the wall and stopped next to Link, then grabbed his tunic and pulled him close. "Listen!" she said. "I'm gonna charge up the hammer with a really powerful ice spell. You charge up the Triforce of Courage and go for the attack!" 

Link looked at her, then nodded confidently.

Above them, the dragon blasted out of the ice and began flailing around. Link and Lydia dropped to the ground as Volvagia's tail whizzed over their heads.

"Gordon, again!" Lydia shouted. "We need more time!"

"**Howl Freeze!!**" 

Volvagia was again frozen for a few moments' time.

Link held the Megaton Hammer over his head and recited a short spell. "**Astral Vine.**" The hammer was quickly coated in red magic. Keeping his eyes closed, he concentrated hard. His hair gently blew away from his forehead and a hollow Triforce mark appeared there. The Triforce of Courage slowly filled in and the mark started to glow.

Volvagia again broke out of the ice and was _very_ angry. The dragon immediately began to attack, swinging its arms at Link.

"**Howl Freeze!!**" The dragon stopped in its tracks once again.

"_Lord of Darkness and the Four Worlds, grant me all the power you possess!"_ The Sorcerer's Rune shone brilliantly, and Lydia felt magical energy course through her body. She again held her two fingers in the air. "_You who crosses between sky and earth, gently flowing water, gather in my hand and give me power."_ White beams of energy flowed from the walls and ceiling of the room, and gathered in a glowing ball above her fingers. In front of her, Link opened his eyes and gripped the hammer with both hands, raising it above his head. Behind him, Lydia shouted at the top of her voice.

"**Demona Crystal!!**"

With the extra power of the rune, Lydia was able to cast the spell. She threw her hand toward the hammer and released the ice energy. The Astral Vine spell around the hammer absorbed the Demona Crystal, and the hammer began to glow with incredible energy. Link lowered it to chest-level and glared at the dragon.

It was then that the dragon again broke loose of the ice. It glared angrily at the Hylian, and then moved to attack. 

"**Ray Wing!**" Lydia flew up behind Link and grabbed him, then veered up toward the ceiling just as the dragon snapped its jaws into the floor. Lydia circled the room. Link, still clutching the glowing hammer, looked up at her.

"I need to go for its head!" he shouted.

"Then I'll give you the extra lift you need!" she shouted back with a smile.

Lydia circled around the angry dragon, veering her flight in all directions to avoid its jaws. She looked down to the ground and found Gordon. She swooped down past the dragon, down to him. "Slow him down!" she shouted as she flew by. As soon as she was past him, she veered back up toward the ceiling. 

Gordon looked up at the dragon. "Hey, you oversized salamander!" he shouted at it. "Do I look tasty? Come over here, why don't ya!!"

The dragon turned around with a hiss and began to fly down toward the small sorcerer. The dragon landed in front of him, digging its front claws into the stone floor.****

"Sucker," Gordon chuckled. He knelt down and slammed his hand on the floor. "**Van Rehl!**" Streams of ice webbed across the floor and traveled up the dragon's clawed arms that were dug into the stone. The ice traveled across Volvagia's body, severely slowing it down. The dragon roared angrily as it tried to move. Gordon laughed at it, then turned and ran to the other side of the room.****

As the dragon started to break free, a gleam of energy drew its attention toward the ceiling. Link's Triforce mark had started glowing again. "Go for it, Dodongo Buster!" Lydia shouted, and dropped him. Link started falling right toward Volvagia's head. He raised the hammer high with a wild look in his eyes. With a fierce battle cry, the Hero of Time slammed the Megaton Hammer down on Volvagia's head. 

There was a bright flash of light as all the energy in the hammer was released along with the power of the Triforce of Courage. The sorcerers had to shield their eyes from the light, but could still hear Volvagia's painful shrieking. 

As the light died down, Link dropped to the temple floor and scurried away. Volvagia reared back and held his head in his arms. He flew off the floor and began making tight circles. His body began to fall apart, starting at the tail, then toward the head. Parts of the dragon's skeleton crashed to the floor, leaving only the head, which dropped to the floor in front of Link and disintegrated. ****

Back outside, the people of Kakariko Village were diverted from their daily routine as an explosion sounded from the mountain. They looked on as a column of smoke quickly rose from the crater into the sky. The smoke dragged up with it the fire cloud around the mountain, and the gray clouds that hung over the village. It all disappeared into the sky. All the damage that Ganondorf had done to the mountain and surrounding area was gone in seconds. The mountain again looked normal, and the sun shone down on the village from a blue sky.

In the Fire Temple, cheers and congratulations were going all around. Lydia slapped Link a high-five, and in so doing, tricked him into holding the hammer with one hand. Its weight pulled him down to the ground, and Lydia started laughing really hard.****

"You really _are_ a hero," she laughed, holding her hands out slightly, "but you're so gullible!"

Link stood as Lydia continued to laugh, and then dropped the Megaton Hammer in her outstretched hands. She fell to the ground under its weight. 

After Gordon stopped laughing, he said, "Well, guys, we did it." 

"Yeah, we did," Lydia said as she lifted the hammer a few inches off the ground, and then dropped it on Link's foot. Link yelped and jumped away. 

"I didn't think we could actually destroy a dragon," she continued. "And Link over there did a fantastic job."

Link stopped swearing and hopping around on his good leg long enough to speak in a squeaky voice that wasn't his. "Thanks a lot," He then returned to getting feeling back into his foot.

Suddenly, a circle of blue light appeared where Volvagia had once been. It hummed with gentle energy. Lydia strolled over to Link, who was testing his weight on his foot.****

"What's that?" she asked him.

Link looked at the light, but didn't answer. His eyes were unusually dull and spacey. He started walking toward it without a word.

"Hey!" Gordon called after him. "Don't go into it – you don't know what it is!"

"No, it's all right," Link replied quietly. "I can hear the Sacred Realm calling me." Without another word, he stepped into the circle of blue light. He was encased in a case of blue crystal, and then disappeared.

Lydia kept her eyes glued to where Link had been standing. "Wha... what just _happened_?"

"I dunno," Gordon replied, "but somehow I have the feeling that he'll be fine. Let's get outta this place."

"How can you be so sure? Link just disappeared again! Remember what happened _last_ time he disappeared like that? We didn't see him again for _seven years!_"

Gordon didn't answer. He was already out of the temple and was going up the ladder. 

Lydia stamped her foot on the ground. "_Man!_" 

Outside the temple, Lydia looked up through the top of the crater and saw the blue sky. It brightened her spirits, but she was still concerned.

"What do we do now?" she asked.

Her brother shifted his gaze to the elevated Triforce platform near the cliff of the crater. Suddenly, Link fell from nowhere, surrounded by blue light. He landed softly on the platform, then turned and ran to meet them.

Gordon nudged his sister. "Told you he'd be fine."

When Link met them, Lydia jumped forward and grabbed hold of his ear. "And just _where_ did you go in that thing?"

Link smiled and pried her fingers off his ear. "Easy, easy," he coaxed. "I met Darunia in the Chamber of the Sages. He's the Sage of Fire."

Gordon then smacked his fist into his open palm. "Aha!" he shouted. "It's just like Zelda said. Every time we defeated an evil spirit, one of the Sages would appear to help us."

Link nodded. "Darunia utilized the evil power that Volvagia was using. Our Triforce pieces now possess that extra power."

Gordon cracked his knuckles quietly. "Now that you mention it, I do feel an extra surge of energy in the Triforce of Wisdom."****

"So," Lydia cut in, "we need to do that with the other sages as well. Each time, we'll get more powerful. By the time all six sages are awakened, we'll have enough to defeat Ganondorf and his Triforce of Power. I get it, I get it."

Link smiled and put his hands on the sorcerer's shoulders. "That's our battle plan. But I think now we should go home and take the rest of the day off. Fanore knows we deserve it."

Lydia nodded. "We'll move out again tomorrow. By then, I should have my full powers back."

"Today was just one victory for the forces of good," Gordon said, "but the fight isn't over yet. I can see more victories on the horizon for us. All we have to do is keep our focus, and Ganondorf will go down!"

Feeling very content with themselves, the three adventurers started back toward Goron City. 


	12. Chapter 12

**_Worlds Apart  
By Miss Lydia_******

**Chapter 12**

In the ruins of Hyrule Castle lay a lava pit. Above the lava pit, the Evil King Ganondorf dwelled. From the top of Ganon's Tower, a dark figure was positioned in the window, gazing east. The figure listened as a dragon shrieked in agony. The figure watched as the pillar of smoke rose from Death Mountain. It watched as the skies over Kakariko Village cleared. From the shadows of the figure's face, a wide, devilish smile appeared. He began to chuckle to himself as his Triforce of Power reacted to something.

"So," he said quietly, "that's their game."

Ganondorf turned and skulked away from the window of his dark, dismal tower. He began walking toward the large room in the center, talking to himself as he entered. 

"The Triforce of Courage has finally revealed itself," he said loudly, as if he wanted someone else to hear. He stopped in front of the large pipe organ in the center of the room, the looked up toward the ceiling. "Your wait grows short."

"You will never get it," a voice said sharply from above the organ. Up there was a purple crystal prison, with Princess Zelda encased inside. Beside her head, Navi fluttered in a worried pattern.

"Oh no?" the Gerudo man asked her. "I know where the Triforce of Courage is, and nothing will stop me from getting it."

"Think about who holds it, foolish man. You will never get it from him. He will protect it with his life."

"Ah yes, that annoying Hylian Kid who began bothering in my business seven years ago. If he refuses to surrender, he will pay for it with his life."

Zelda scowled at Ganondorf and looked away. Navi's wings drooped.

"I will get the Triforce of Courage," Ganondorf continued, "and with that and the Triforce of Wisdom you hold, I will obtain the full Triforce and will truly rule the land."

Suddenly Ganondorf stopped and put his hand on his chin. "Still, those little magicians the kid hangs around with may be a slight annoyance to me. I'll have to get rid of them before I can take the kid and his Triforce piece."

He looked up at Zelda, who was still scowling at him. "I suppose I'd better not leave you alone, however. You'll just cause trouble. I'll have to ask a favor of my friends in the West."

Zelda slapped her hand on the side of the crystal cage. "You'll bring the Gerudo race into your plot?" she asked angrily. "How low will you sink?"

"It doesn't matter how," the Evil King replied shrilly. "As long as I get the Triforce of Courage in the end, it doesn't matter how it was done."

Zelda shrunk back in her prison. For the first time since the beginning, she was beginning to truly fear for Link's safety. And what if Ganondorf found out that she didn't have the Triforce of Wisdom anymore? She prayed to Nayru that she could stall him until Link and the sorcerers could come with full power to defeat him.

Zelda looked up as Ganondorf snapped his fingers in the air. A Gerudo woman suddenly ran into the room and stopped in front of him. She knelt down on the ground as Ganondorf began to speak to her quietly. Zelda couldn't make out the words he was saying. The Gerudo suddenly stood and saluted the Evil King, then turned to leave. As she was almost to the door, Ganondorf suddenly shouted to her.

"Nabooru!"

The Gerudo stopped and turned to face him.

"...Do what you must with the two sorcerers, but I want the Hero of Time brought to me alive!"

Suddenly, Zelda realized Ganondorf's plan. She fought back sobs as tears steamed down her face. She closed her eyes as a silent plea shouted inside her head.

_Link. Lydia. Gordon. Please watch out for yourselves. _

***

"Look!"

"It's them! It's them!"

"Hero Link and the Magicians!"

Link, Lydia, and Gordon had just re-entered Goron City. Link had pushed the monkey statue back in place. Lydia punched him in the stomach when he again insisted that it looked like her. He then took off his red tunic, revealing his usual green one underneath, and Lydia felt her brother de-activate his heat resistance spell. The three adventurers were now standing in the bottom level of the main hall. Gorons lined the balconies of the upper levels and were all cheering for the brave heroes that had saved them from a horrible fate.

Suddenly, Goron Link rolled down the stairs. The trio all dove in separated directions as the little Goron plowed past them and hit the wall. He grunted and sat up. Hylian Link stood and brushed himself off as Goron Link stood and waddled very quickly toward him. Hylian Link was about to greet him when the little guy threw his huge arms around him and squeezed hard. 

"_Thank you!!_" Goron Link shouted happily. 

The sorcerers looked on as Link's eyes nearly bugged out of his head. The little Goron was squeezing him half to death.

"You saved everybody!" the Goron continued. "And I know that Daddy's okay! Volvagia's gone! You truly _are_ a hero!" In shrill happiness, the Goron squeezed Link even harder.

Lydia couldn't watch any longer. She crept up beside Link and leaned toward his ear.

"Judging from that 'get him off me or I'm gonna die' expression on your face," she said quietly, "little Goron Link is very strong."

Link drew in as much breath as he could. "It's not that I don't appreciate his thanks," he said, in a harsh squeak, since he couldn't manage anything louder, "but you're right. Get him off me or I'm gonna die."

Lydia chuckled heartily and bent down to the Goron. "Hey, come over here a sec," she said to him, tilting her head. "I wanna tell you something."

Goron Link smiled, bearing his huge teeth, and promptly let go of the Hylian. Link dropped to the ground, wheezing loudly. He raised his head long enough to wave a silent "Thank You" to Lydia. She waved a "You Owe Me" back and led the Goron away. 

The little Goron followed Lydia over to where Gordon was standing. She knelt down on the ground and looked at Goron Link. 

"You know," she said. "you were pretty brave earlier today." 

"I was?" the Goron asked.

"Oh sure. I mean, you were gonna go to the Fire Temple all by yourself to look for everyone. It was foolish, mind you, but it was very brave. I don't know many _adults_ in my world that are that brave."

"I'm brave?" The Goron was looking very delighted.

"I'll bet you'll grow up to be just like your dad. Or even like Hero Link."

"Yeah! I wanna be like Hero Link!"

"You should have _seen_ him in the Fire Temple. He took that hammer and _WHAM_! Took care of the dragon just like _that_!"

A little ways off, Hylian Link stood, still trying to catch his breath. "You know," he said to the little Goron, "I can't take all the credit. Lydia here did a great job, as well."

Lydia was completely dumbfounded. _Why is Link sharing the credit?_, she thought._ Why isn't he hogging it for himself or something?_ She didn't have to wait long to find out why.

"I think she deserves a hug, too." Link finished slyly.

Without a second thought, the little Goron pounced on Lydia, wrapping his mammoth arms around her, pinning her arms down. With the wind knocked out of her, Lydia couldn't even muster enough breath to curse at Link. She could only glare at Link, who was laughing loudly. 

"I'll get you for this, Dodongo Buster!" she squeaked as loudly as she could.

As Goron Link kept squeezing, Lydia looked on as Gordon strolled over to Link and slapped him a high-five. "Thanks for not sharing the credit with _me_," she heard Gordon say.

"Hey, we both know she _really_ deserves it," Link replied.

"You're _both_ dead!" Lydia grunted. 

After Link gave the little Goron an autograph, just like he promised, they all left Goron City. With one last good-bye to the excited Gorons, they disappeared through the door and reappeared on the trail. The Gorons' cheers faded into the distance.

Lydia rubbed her sore waist as she and the boys started back down Death Mountain Trail, toward town. "Strong little guy," she muttered to herself.

Farther down the trail, Gordon spoke up. "So, Link, where should we go tomorrow?"

Walking next to him, Link thought for a moment. "The Zoras should be next. We need to find them and help them."

"Sounds good. We'll start out tomorrow, then."

Suddenly, Lydia snapped her fingers. "Ah! I almost forgot!"

Gordon and Link looked over their shoulders. "Forgot what?" Link asked.

Lydia clasped her hands behind her back and smiled evilly. "Do you two happen to remember a little incident at the Fire Temple entrance?"

Raising their eyebrows in questioning, the boys turned around to face her.

"I seem to recall that you guys were really mean and tricked me into giving you a hint about my secret weapon," she continued.

Link suddenly remembered. Lydia finished before he could say anything.

"And I also recall that I said that I owed you two something as soon as we got back outside."

Link looked at Gordon. Judging from the look on his face, he had just remembered, too. Link gently nudged the sorcerer with his elbow.

"I think now would be a good time to run away really fast," he said.

"Yeah, now would be a very good time," Gordon replied.

"Ready?"  
  
"Set."

"_Go!_"

They turned and dashed down the trail as fast as they could. Lydia shouted after them. 

"Too slow, guys!" she shrieked. "**_Explosion Array!!_**" 

***

Lydia could see the darkness rushing toward her. It wrapped around her body. She struggled as much as she could, but the darkness wouldn't let her move. She thrashed back and forth, trying to free herself and drive the darkness away. From the darkness that held her came a voice.

"_Allies will fall, and evil will rise. Even when all seems lost, the last resort will fail. Only the power of all will defeat the evil. Ultimate power will restore the land._"

Then another voice came.

"Hey!" it called to her. "Are you okay? Wake up!" 

Lydia opened her eyes to find someone shaking her. She was back in her own bed, with Link standing over her. Even in the dark, she could see concern in his blue eyes.

"Are you okay?" he asked again. "It looked like you were having some kind of nasty nightmare."

Lydia rubbed the sleep from her eyes and sat up, clutching her covers for security. It was still dark outside, but the sun was starting to think about coming up. Gordon was sound asleep in his bed, snoring quietly. Link sat down on the end of Lydia's bed and looked at her.

"You were thrashing around and making a lot of noise," he said to her, lowering his voice to a whisper. "In fact, I'm surprised your brother's still asleep."

Lydia chuckled softly and said, "I could fire a Dragon Slave under his bed and he'd sleep through it." She watched as Link stretched his arms in the air and yawned. "I'm sorry I woke _you_ up, though."

Link brought his arms down and waved his hand. "Ah, forget it," he said. 

The sorceress opened her mouth wide and yawned. Link did the same thing and stretched again. He twisted his back away from her to look out the window. Lydia suddenly noticed something then. Extending down the length of Link's back was a long, blond braid. Shocked, she took hold of it and tugged on it.

"Hey, ow!" Link whispered harshly.

"Where'd _this_ come from?!"

"…It grew out of my head, of course."

"I had no idea your hair was this long! It's twice as long as _mine_! Why haven't I seen it before?"

Link gathered up his hair and played with the end of the braid. "I keep it tucked into my hat during the day." He laughed suddenly and carelessly tossed the braid over his shoulder. "I can't believe you haven't noticed until now." He glanced over to her with a sly smile on his face. "Do men with long hair disgust you?"

Lydia's mouth fell open. "O-Of course not! …It's kinda…cool, actually. I….like it."

The Hylian laughed again. "I love catching you off guard like that. You're so much fun to mess with."

The girl reached over and slugged his arm. 

Link yawned again, then turned to look at Lydia. "So…what was happening just now?" The glee in his eyes had changed back to concern. "….Do you feel like talking about it?"

The sorceress sighed. "There was darkness all around me, and it tried to swallow me up. In the midst of everything, that prophesy came to me again."

Link thought for a moment and then recited it. "_Allies will fall, and evil will rise. Even when all seems lost, the last resort will fail._ Um...how did the rest of it go?"

"_Only the power of all will defeat the evil_," Lydia finished, "_Ultimate power will restore the land_."

Link scratched behind his long ear. "It still doesn't make any sense to me."

"Me, either. But it keeps coming to me. It means _something_, we just have to figure out what."

"Well, it can wait until morning," Link said, standing up. "I just wanted to make sure you were okay."

Lydia smiled. "Yeah, thanks. I appreciate that."

Link stretched one more time before crawling into his bed. He disappeared under the sheets and was asleep in moments.

Even after Link had fallen asleep again, Lydia was still staring at the ceiling in serious thought. She was beginning to seriously worry about their inevitable fight with Ganondorf, after they freed the races of Hyrule. _Something terrible is going to happen_, she thought. _That prophesy is trying to tell me what will happen. What is it trying to say? Damn it, what is it trying to say? _

***

In the morning, Lydia did not feel at all rested. It was as if she had been up all night. Groaning, she swung her legs to the floor and got dressed. Gordon was still asleep, she noticed, and Link's bed was empty. His sword and shield were gone, and his hat was no longer hanging on the bed post. That wasn't unusual. She knew he was probably just hanging around outside. She glanced at her brother again and was about to call him Mr. Lazy, but she looked at her watch instead and saw that it was only 8:30. _Hmm_, she thought, _I guess that means Link hasn't been gone very long. I can probably catch up with him, then._

She quietly crept over to the window and opened the shutters. She gazed up at the sky over Kakariko and smiled. For the first time in weeks, the sky was a bright blue – the kind of sky that always made the sorceress happy. And on top of everything, Lydia could once again feel her full power within her. No more limited magic. ....At least, she thought, until next month.

She decided to let Gordon get another couple of hours sleep, and left the house quietly to look for Link. She looked around Kakariko as she closed the door behind her. Link was nowhere to be seen. She jogged around to the back of town, but still couldn't find him. 

Lydia turned and ran toward Hyrule Field, waving a Good Morning to a few of the villagers she passed. She skipped down the stairs and stopped in the field. Epona was gone, too.

_I wonder where he's gone to without us?_ "**Ray Wing!**" She didn't know where to start looking, but started flying south, toward Lake Hylia. She had an odd feeling that she should start there.

***

Link sighed quietly and looked down into the empty Lake Hylia, staring blankly at what he believed to be the entrance to the Water Temple. He was leaning up against the wall of the Lake Laboratory, which was run by a crazy old guy who researched the water there. He was all holed up in the Lab since Lake Hylia had almost completely drained.

Link crossed his arms and turned his gaze toward the gray sky. It wasn't like the blue sky over Kakariko this morning. The only sounds he could hear were the gentle breeze blowing through his hair, the occasional bird call, and Epona's neighs coming from the entrance of Lake Hylia.

Then a new sound reached him. A voice called down from somewhere in the sky.

"_There_ you are!" it called.

Startled, Link uncrossed his arms and looked toward the voice. Lydia was flying down toward him. He relaxed and waved to her. She stopped a few feet off the ground, then dropped down and looked at him.

"You're up unusually early," Link said.

"Couldn't sleep," Lydia replied as she leaned on the wall of the lab. "Why did you leave without saying anything? You almost had me worried. _Almost_."

"I didn't think you'd be awake for at least another three hours, so I came here."

"Why?"

Link looked back up at the sky. "…This lake used to be so beautiful," he said coolly. "When I was a kid, I always came here. It was always so peaceful – I came here often to do some thinking."

"What about? …Come on, tell me."

Link leaned his head on the wall and looked toward the dry lake. "Mainly about our quest. What our goals are and how we are going to accomplish those goals. I was just thinking about how well we've been doing so far."

"And that _is_ pretty well. We toasted that dragon a good one, didn't we?"

"Yeah," Link replied with a laugh, "but we still have so much ahead of us. And I'm getting really worried about Zelda."

"You're not alone in that. But at least your bug Navi is with her. She's not alone. Besides, this is what she wanted. Her decoy plan is still working."

"…I guess you're right."

"And don't you worry, Link. All we have to do is keep up the pace. We'll save Hyrule, yet. Right?"

"...Yes, right."

"I can't _hear_ you...!" Lydia mocked.

"You're right!" Link said loudly, smiling. "We'll save Hyrule."

"That's the spirit! Keep that in your head and we'll be fine." 

Lydia looked up at the sky and relaxed her mind. Several silent moments followed, until Lydia spoke again. 

"So....were you thinking about anything else?"

Link rubbed the back of his neck and said, "Yeah, actually. I was thinking about how bored I'm going to be once you and Gordon go back home."

Lydia laughed and patted his shoulder. "You have the Ocarina of Time, remember? You can come visit us if you want, you know," she said. "You will always be welcome at my house."

Link smiled sweetly and opened his mouth to thank her, but he suddenly stopped. His ears had picked up something very faint, and his sixth sense was screaming of danger. He pushed off the wall and listened to the air.

All the while, Lydia kept talking. "You may not believe it, but I know _I'll_ be bored if you're not around to be my personal punching bag. So, actually, I guess that invitation is more of a request."

She looked up at Link, and was surprised to see that he wasn't looking at her at all. His narrowed eyes were darting around the lake area, and his muscles were poised to jump.

"Link...?" she asked quietly with a meek tone. "...What's wrong?"

"Quiet," he whispered back as he held a hand up. 

Lydia, now rather scared, glanced around to one side as Link looked to the other side. Suddenly, Link flinched sharply. 

"_Watch it!_" he shouted quickly, and he grabbed Lydia's shoulder and shoved her away. She fell to the ground with a surprised yelp. When she hit the ground, she heard a _thunk_ sound. She looked up again, and stared in horror at the Lab's wall.

An arrow was now stuck in the wood, right where her head had just been.

"My GOD!" she shouted in shock. Link jumped in front of her defensively and drew his sword, keeping his eyes on something up ahead. Still terrified beyond the ability to move, let alone stand up, Lydia shifted her head and gazed past Link.

Standing a distance away was a brown skinned woman with red hair. She was dressed in desert clothes and was holding a bow toward them with another arrow positioned in the string. The woman stared at Link with cold, vacant eyes.

Without hesitation, she released the second arrow. Link quickly leaned to the side, and the arrow grazed by his shoulder, cutting his skin. He cursed loudly in pain backed up, forgetting that Lydia was on the ground behind him. He tripped and fell backward, landing across her back.

The woman still hadn't moved. She was slowly pulling another arrow from her quiver.

Lydia groaned and tried to squirm out from under Link. "So," she asked, "is she an ex-girlfriend of yours?"

Link held the arrow wound with his other hand. "Very funny. She's a Gerudo."

"From that race of women? Why is she trying to kill us?"

"She's of Ganondorf's race. He naturally has something to do with it."

The Gerudo woman confidently put the arrow in place and began to raise the bow again.

"Oh, no you don't," Lydia muttered. "**Wind Brid!**"

The Gerudo didn't even see it coming. An invisible wind arrow flew through the air and knocked the bow from the woman's hands. The Gerudo watched her weapon sail through the air and land by the shore of the empty lake. The woman snarled and slowly drew a scimitar from her belt. 

Lydia shoved Link off her back and stood, glaring at the woman. Link stood beside her, ready for anything.

"Well," Lydia shouted at the woman, "thanks to you, I have a new reason to hate the Gerudo race."

The Gerudo only laughed as she raised her scimitar in challenge. Link drew his own sword in acceptance. Lydia stepped aside and said, "She's all yours, Hero."

Link raised the Master Sword and took a few steps forward, then he stopped. Looking over his shoulder at the sorceress, he said, "Um, but, Lyd, I have this _thing_ about fighting girls..."

Lydia let her head flop back and her arms fall to her sides. She picked her head up and shouted, "What do you mean? You fight _me_ all the time! I'm a girl!"

"Barely! ....And we don't fight like _this_."

Meanwhile, the Gerudo raised an eyebrow, watching her two targets in amusement. I would be such a shame to carry out her master's orders.

Link turned his attention back toward the woman. "Who are you?" he called out. "And what's your business with us?"

For the first time, the woman spoke. "I do believe that my opponent should know my identity," she said coolly. "I am Nabooru, the leader of the Gerudo race, second-in-command to the great Ganondorf. My orders were to obtain the Triforce of Courage by any means necessary."

_Oh, crap,_ Link thought.

Lydia's face twisted. _Ganondorf knows he has it!_

Nabooru smiled and repeated part of it. "By _any_ means necessary."

Link stiffened and raised his sword. Lydia positioned her hands at her sides and prepared a fireball spell.

Nabooru snarled and put her sword away. "But it seems I have underestimated my targets," she said. "You got the best of me this time, but it won't happen again. Be on guard – I'll be back."

With that, the Gerudo turned and ran toward the entrance to Hyrule Field with incredible speed, scaring Epona as she ran by. 

Link frowned and sheathed his sword. "Nasty old wench," he muttered. He glanced at Lydia, who was staring blankly at the two arrows stuck in the lab wall.

"Hey," he said. "You okay? I didn't hurt you when I tripped, did I?"

Lydia turned and looked Link right in the eye. "You saved my life, do you know that?"

"Huh?"

"See this arrow? That's where my head was. I would have been killed if you weren't there. …I want to thank you."

Link flushed deep red in the face. "Oh, well, er, it was no problem at all," he stammered, putting one arm behind his head. 

"I just wish I knew how to thank you enough."

"Heh, this isn't like you at all, Lyd."

Lydia looked at the ground, but didn't say anything. Suddenly, she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Link and buried her face in the front of his tunic.

"Just promise me…," she whispered, "Promise me you'll always be there to protect me like that."

It took Link several moments to find his voice. "I…um…"

"Just promise me…, please?"

Not knowing what else to do, Link smiled and returned the embrace. "…I promise. I'll be there."

Another few seconds went by, and suddenly Lydia stiffened and pushed away quickly. Her face was beet red. "…Oh, my God. I am _so_ sorry. I…kinda got ahead of myself there…" She nervously rubbed the back of her neck. "Didn't mean to put you on the spot like that… How embarrassing."

Link bit his lower lip. He had very little experience in dealing with girls. They were so complicated! What was he supposed to say?

Lydia looked up again and smiled meekly. She moved to his shoulder and began to heal the arrow wound with her magic. "Don't worry about just now… I'm just out of my mind."

The Hylian smiled at her again. "Even if you have lost your mind…I intend to keep that promise."

"…Thank you…"

As soon as that was finished, Lydia moved over to the wall and pulled the arrow out, and broke it over her knee. "Damn Gerudo," she muttered as she threw the pieces on the ground, "I'll get her for this. She's my new best friend, and best friends deserve _special_ treatment."

Link laughed. "Now _that's_ the Lydia I know!"

Suddenly, a voice rang out above them. "Hey! I've been looking for you guys!"

Lydia and Link looked up to see Gordon flying down to them. He landed in front of them and smiled.

"Morning!" he said energetically. "I was wondering where you two had gone. So, anything cool happen? Did I miss any action?"

The other two both gave him really sarcastic looks.

Gordon raised one eyebrow. "…What did I say?" 


	13. Chapter 13

**_Worlds Apart  
By Miss Lydia_**

**Chapter 13**

"No kidding? A Gerudo attacked you?" Gordon asked.

"Yeah, under orders of Ganondorf's," Lydia replied in a huff.

Link gave Epona a crack with the whip and her speed increased. Flying on either side of the running horse were the sorcerers. Lydia looked ahead to see the entrance to Zora's River. She crossed her arms across her chest and curled her lip into a snarl.

"I hope we see my new best friend again soon," she said. "I miss her already."

"I have no doubt," Link shouted up to her, "that we _will_ see her again. After all, her orders were to get the Triforce of Courage."

Gordon's eyes widened. "Ganondorf knows you have it?"

Link nodded sternly. "That's why this Gerudo's all over me – she has to get it from me now."

"The big G probably still thinks Zelda has the Triforce of Wisdom," Lydia called, "so I don't think Gordon's in danger yet."

"Who is she?" Gordon asked.

"Oh, she's some chick named Naberu."

"Nabooru," Link corrected.

"_Nabooru_," Lydia repeated. "She says she's the leader of the Gerudo race. The second in command to the 'great Ganondorf'."

Gordon heaved an aggravated sigh. "I guess she'll be following us all over Hyrule now," he said. 

"Without a doubt." 

Link stopped Epona at the shore of Zora's River. Lydia and Gordon flew across, while Link got off the horse and jumped over after getting a running start.

"You show off," Lydia muttered playfully. "You just had to _jump_ the river, didn't you?"

"Come on," Link instructed, rolling his eyes. "Let's get moving."

As they traveled down Zora's River, Lydia landed and walked beside Link.

"So," she asked, "why are we going to the fountain again?"

"It's as good a place as any to start looking for signs of the Zoras," Link replied.

Lydia suddenly stopped and shaped her hands into a T. "Whoa, whoa, time out!" she shouted. "We're not going into that Ice Cavern again, are we?"

Gordon shrugged. "Considering that we have _nothing _to go on…we may as well."

The sorceress scoffed. "Remember what happened last time we went in there? We almost got run over by an angry swarm of Ice Keese."

Link rubbed his hands together. "It's a risk we need to take."

"You two are crazy."

"Crazy is _your_ middle name," Gordon said.

Link waved Gordon on. "Let's go," he said to him. Gordon followed him up the river. 

"Wait, are you leaving her behind?" he whispered.

Link chuckled quietly. "Don't worry," he whispered with a smirk, "her pride alone will make her follow."

Lydia stood where they had left her, with her hands on her hips. Finally, she shook her head and ran after them.

"Whatever," she said as she caught up.

"Ah, so you're coming after all?" Link asked, looking over his shoulder.

"You two need me. Without my superior power you'll just get yourselves into trouble."

Gordon laughed. "Maybe so."

Link nudged Gordon's arm. "See? Told you." 

Once they reached the fountain, Lydia immediately announced the obvious facts. 

"Well, it's still frozen, it's still dismal, and it's still too damn cold here." 

Link stared at the entrance to the Ice Cavern. "Well," he said, "as I recall, we didn't get into the cavern too far before being attacked by those Ice Keese. I'll bet that if we can avoid them, we can find something we can use."

"Is there something you're looking for?" Lydia asked.

"Hmm....not really anything specific, no. But at this point, we don't even have a clue to go on."

"Yeah, I see what you mean," Gordon said. "We don't even know where to go to start fixing this place up. And I just wish we could find even _one_ Zora."

Suddenly, a voice rang out behind them. "_You!_"

The trio whipped around to face the entrance to Zora's Domain. Standing behind them was a full-grown female Zora. Of all the Zoras, she was the most elegant and attractive they had seen yet. She fluttered her fins and glued her eyes on Link.

"Well, kid," Lydia said, "your wish has been granted.  There's your _one _Zora."

The Zora smiled and stepped forward. "Oh, my...is that you...Link?"

Link suddenly went white as snow in the face. He had just recognized her.

"Oh my dear Link, my fiancé!" 

Lydia's jaw dropped down to her knees. "_Fiancé!?_" she repeated loudly.

Link cleared his throat and stepped back nervously. "Uh...what are you talking about? ...Um...I'm not Link...I have no idea who Link is... I swear you've got the wrong guy."

The Zora held her arms out. "Oh my dear fiancé, you cannot fool me!"

Link suddenly turned on his heel and ran away. The Zora gave chase with her arms outstretched. "Don't you recognize me, my sweet Link? I'm your fiancé, Ruto, Princess of the Zoras!" Link, still yelling and carrying on, turned sharply and ran out onto the iced over fountain. The agile Zora didn't miss the turn and stayed on his tail, shouting requests for a hug and kiss.

Back on the shore, the sorcerers stared after them. They watched Link run all over the fountain, trying to escape the Zora's outstretched arms. 

"Now..." Lydia said quietly, "I have truly seen everything."

Gordon nodded, completely speechless.

"Still," Lydia said as she watched the Zora make a dive for Link, "this is kind of funny. I need to have some fun with this now."

"You just can't help yourself, can you?"

"Can I ever? **Ray Wing!**"

Lydia took off toward Link. She had to change directions several times to keep up with him, but eventually ended up flying alongside him as he ran like a maniac.

"So, Lover Boy," she called to him, crossing her arms. "What's this fiancé business?"

"Not now, okay?" Link called up to her. "I'm trying to save myself here!"

Lydia waved at him. "All right, fine. It was nice knowing you." She slowed down her flight and dropped back until she was flying alongside the lovesick Zora.

"Let me tell you," she said to the Zora slyly, "you picked a good one. You need to run faster than that! Can't let a great guy like Link get away, now can you?"

The Zora squealed with delight and ran even faster. Link glared over his shoulder. "Thanks a _lot_, Litter Box!" he shouted at her.

Lydia waved after him and smiled. "You're welcome a lot!" She turned and flew back to the shore and landed next to her brother. She looked on as Ruto tackled Link onto the ice. She laughed as Link tried to squirm and wriggle away, but Ruto's hold was too tight.

"Well," Lydia said, "looks like the all mighty and brave Hero of Time is a little bit afraid of girls."

"Or commitment," Gordon added.

"Nah, girls, 'cause he's sure _committed_ to avoiding that particular girl."

"...That was really lame."

***

Everyone was on the shore now. Gordon was staring at the young Zora girl, Lydia's face was displaying mixed emotions, Link was beet red in the face, and his fiancé was at his side, hugging him tightly, keeping his arms pinned down.

"So," Lydia asked. "Who are you again?"

The Zora stood on her toes and rubbed her cheek against Link's. Link leaned away in a futile effort to escape. 

"I am Ruto, Princess of the Zoras," she said. "And I am dear Link's fiancé."

Lydia tried to disguise her laugh as a cough as Ruto asked, "Who are you two?"

Gordon pushed Lydia aside so she could compose herself and replied, "We're friends of Link. I'm Gordon, and she's Lydia. We're sorcerers from Earth."

Ruto was so shocked at the young boy's statement that she actually let go of Link. The Hylian immediately began edging away from her.

"Sorcerers?" she asked as she jumped after Link and grabbed hold of him again. "You strangers can use magic?"

"The best of the best," Lydia said. 

Ruto stared in awe. "Then..." she said quietly, "you can help my sweet fiancé with his quest!"

"That's why we're here."

"Then...it is my honor to invite you two visitors to our wedding!" Ruto squeezed her fiancé as hard as she could, causing him to go slightly cross-eyed.

Lydia shook her head in pity for Link. 

"Ruto," Gordon said, "there's something more important that needs to be discussed."

"Oh?" Ruto asked.

"Where are the other Zoras?"

Ruto's face darkened and fell, and she let go of Link again. She looked at the ground and pointed toward the frozen fountain.

Lydia followed her finger. "I don't see anything over there...  Just ice."

Link walked past Ruto and the sorcerers, and out to the fountain. He stopped partway across the ice and stared down. Suddenly, he dropped down to one knee and pressed his hand against the ice.

"By Nayru!" he shouted, and then turned to Lydia and Gordon. "You two need to see this."

The sorcerers broke into a run and stopped beside Link. Lydia dropped down beside him and peered into the ice.

"My God..." she said quietly.

Down near the bottom of the fountain, frozen in the ice, were all of the Zoras. They were suspended in the frozen water, in panicked positions.

"That damn Ganondorf has really done it this time," Gordon muttered.

Link stood and called to Ruto. "What happened?"

Ruto turned and started to walk toward the ice, but suddenly stopped, cowering by the shore. She turned around and ran away several feet, covering her face with her hands.

Lydia raised an eyebrow. "I don't think she wants to see them. She won't come out here."

The trio stood and joined Ruto back on the shore. The Zora princess looked about two seconds off of crying. 

"What happened?" Link asked again.

"I.... missed you..." Ruto stammered, "since you had been gone so long. I left Zora's Domain to look for you. While I was gone, Ganondorf came and did this to the other Zoras. I'm the only Zora left to walk Hyrule's grounds."

"That was probably just after Link pulled the Master Sword..." Gordon said, mostly to himself.

Lydia's face fell in concern. She suddenly felt sorry for Link's betrothed.

"You're the only Zora left alive?" Gordon asked timidly.

Ruto looked up at him. "It seems so, but I believe there is a chance that the others may still be alive."

"Maybe I can melt them out with a good fireball,"

Lydia shook her head. "No."

Everyone looked at her in questioning.

"First of all," Lydia continued, "if this is Ganondorf's work, that ice was created by magic, and won't be melted by normal means.  We all know how his magic works by now. Secondly, you'd probably kill the Zoras in the process."

"Hmm, I see," Gordon breathed quietly.

Link watched as Ruto began to tremble with despair. He set his hand on her shoulder and said, "Don't worry. If there's a way to save them, we'll do it. We need to find the Water Sage and defeat the evil here." 

Ruto suddenly brightened. "The Water Temple!" she said. "That's your destination – the source of this frigid winter magic is in Lake Hylia. There's something in the Ice Cavern that will help you. And I will get something else that will help you, and meet you there. Oh, Link, my dear fiancé, do you promise to save Zora's Domain?"

Link smiled and said, "I promise I'll do everything I can."

Ruto squealed with delight and, with her energy renewed, wrapped her arms around Link's neck. "And in return, I promise I'll be a wonderful wife to you!"

Link's face fell and he leaned away from the Zora.

Lydia chuckled. _Poor guy. Look at him. He knows he's doomed._

Ruto let go and turned toward the domain. As she ran off, she turned and shouted "I'll meet you at the Water Temple. Take care, love!" With that, she disappeared back into Zora's Domain.

Gordon watched her go, wondering how Link got fixed up with someone like her. The sorcerer turned to face Link, who was standing next to the Lydia. His head was down on her shoulder and his arms were hanging limp. Lydia was patting him on the back sympathetically.

"There, there," she coaxed.

Link lifted his head and stared at the sky. "Why me?"

Lydia knelt down to the ground and picked up a stick. She stood and held it toward Link's face like a microphone. "'Why me' indeed," she said. "You sure are the ladies' man, aren't you? I'm sure all our viewers out there are dying to know just _how_ you got hooked up with a girlfriend like the Zora Princess. Would you care to enlighten us?" She eagerly leaned the stick closer.

Gordon stepped between them and snatched the stick away. "Okay," he said, waving the stick at his sister, "you don't have to be so forward about it."

"Oh, I can be even more forward. Watch this." Lydia planted herself right in front of Link and stared him in the eye. "Since _WHEN_ do you have a fiancé? Why didn't you ever tell me?"

Link moved back. "She tricked me into it when we were kids," he said. "Before you two came to Hyrule. I had no idea what she had done until after it was over. I tried to avoid her, and after coming out of the Sacred Realm, I figured she had forgotten about me. It had been, after all, seven years since she'd seen hide or hair of me."

Lydia laughed. "Figured you were off the hook, huh?"

"Yeah. But she seems to be more persistent than I thought."

"Well, _I_ never would've let myself fall into such a trap."

Link scoffed at her. "Well, _excuse_ me."

"Never underestimate a lovesick girl," Gordon said.

Lydia looked at the ground and shuffled her feet, sighing loudly. She walked past the boys, toward the Ice Cavern.

"What's the matter?" Link called after her.

The sorceress turned her big green eyes toward him again.  "…Well, I…  No, it's nothing.  Come on, we're wasting time.  **Ray Wing!**"  The dust on the ground scattered as she took off toward the Ice Cavern.

Back by the shore, Gordon raised an eyebrow and looked at Link.  "I wonder what's up with her?"

Link's heart began to pound as he remembered the events of that morning.

"_Just promise me…  Promise me that you'll always be there to protect me_."

_She's upset_, Link thought.  _…About what Ruto said, isn't she?  Lyd…why are you like this all of a sudden?_

***

Once the boys touched down in the cavern, Lydia was nowhere in sight, but they could hear her angrily casting spells up ahead.

"**Fireball! Flare Arrow! Fehlzareid!**"

They caught up just as she finished firing magic in all directions. She wiped her forehead and turned around smiling.

"Ah... That felt great," she said cheerfully.

Link tilted his head. "Was there actually something in here, or were you just firing spells for the hell of it?"

"You did seem kinda mad a few minutes ago," Gordon added.

Lydia looked appalled. "Why would I be mad?" She turned her gaze to Link. "_Yes_, there was something in this room. Tons of monsters, in fact. It was like they were standing guard." She began to count with her fingers. "There were Ice Keese, Stalfos, Deku Babas, Deku Scrubs... Well, anyway, I bravely fought them off." 

Link crossed his arms. "Hmm..... It seems Ganondorf doesn't want us going any farther."

"They were really out in force," Lydia continued. "Let's just say it's a good thing I have my full power back, since you guys took your sweet time catching up."

Ignoring her completely, Gordon stepped up to Link, who appeared to also be ignoring her. "Something bothers me, though," Gordon said.

"What's that?" Link asked.

"Ganondorf may be a power hound, but he's not stupid. Why does he keep sending the weak critters after us?" 

Lydia stopped her ranting and thought that one over. "That's a good question. You'd think he would do better."

"He _is_ doing better," Link said suddenly.

"…Come again?"

"Remember that Gerudo that almost killed you this morning?"

Lydia shrunk back a little. "Yeah. She had some serious skills, indeed."

"In her own way, she's more dangerous than all those monsters put together."

"Well, if she's smart, she didn't follow us in a place as cold as this," Lydia commented with a snarl. "Being in here in the first place is pretty dumb. I don't even know why we're in here." 

"Ruto said there's something in here that would be useful," Gordon said.

"The sooner we get moving, the sooner we can leave." With that, she continued forward through the room, ungracefully slipping on the ice as she walked. The boys shrugged their shoulders and followed.

When they slid their way into the middle of the room, a loud wolf's howl weaved through the room. The group stopped and huddled close together. Link instinctively drew the Master Sword from the sheath.

A large form materialized from the ground in the center of the floor. It threw its head back and howled. 

"A White Wolfos," Link said quietly.

Lydia squeezed his shoulder. "That is easily the biggest wolf I've ever seen! Link, it's taller than _you_!"

"It looks dangerous," Gordon muttered.

Link laughed. "Nah, you'd be surprised," he said. "Watch this."

He strayed away from the sorcerers as the Wolfos began to circle him. Link held his shield up defensively as they circled each other. The Wolfos ran up to Link and held its arm up to attack. As it brought its huge claws down, Link took a few steps back. The claws whizzed right by the shield. The Wolfos swung so hard that the momentum of the attack ended up turning the entire creature around, leaving its back exposed. Link jumped up and brought the Master Sword down. The Wolfos disappeared into the ground with a pitifully mournful howl. 

"See?" Link asked, sheathing his sword. "They're not as dangerous as they look."

Lydia giggled quietly. "Guess not."

Gordon smiled. "Okay then, shall we press on?"

Lydia began to slip forward, but suddenly stiffened. In the most graceful motion she'd ever accomplished, she leaped forward and pushed Link's head to the side, and then fired past his ear. "**_Fire-ball!_**"

The fireball spell exploded just behind Link. His quick reflexes carried him away, dragging Lydia with him by the back of her shirt. When he stopped and looked back, a group of about fifteen smoldering Ice Keese fell to the floor and disappeared. 

Lydia pried Link's fingers off her shirt and said, "That was close."

"What happened?" Gordon asked. "I didn't even _see_ them!"

"They can't normally sneak up on me like that…" Link mentioned, beginning to sound worried.

The sorceress shook her head. "They didn't drop down from the ceiling like they usually do. They just...well..._appeared_. Right behind you. Another second and you'd have been a block of ice. You should thank me."

Link smiled. "Okay. Thank you...for giving me a kink in my neck." He reached up and rubbed his neck sharply.

Lydia only shrugged her shoulders. "Close enough." 

Gordon rubbed his chin. "You say they just _appeared_?"

Lydia's face hardened. "Out of thin air. There was nothing, and then suddenly, they were there."

"How strange," Link said. "Seems Ganondorf is trying a few new tricks."

"Let's watch each other's backs and keep moving."

The group hadn't walked ten feet when a second group of Ice Keese appeared from thin air, along with several White Wolfos. A few fireballs disposed of them, but Lydia was getting very uneasy.

"I don't like this," she said quietly. "I don't like this at all."

"Monsters don't just _appear_ like that," Gordon added.

Link suddenly jabbed his sword behind him without turning around, piercing the torso of a Stalfos that appeared behind him. It fell back and disappeared.

"Let's get outta this room," Link said urgently, pulling on Gordon's sleeve.

The adventurers slipped their way across the ice, fighting off the monsters that kept appearing. "**Fireball!**" "**Digger Volt!**" "**Blade Haut!**" They finally stopped on the snow inside the doorway to catch their breath. Gordon couldn't help but notice that the room they were just in had gone still. 

".... No more monsters?" he wondered.

"They're not appearing anymore," Lydia added.

Link wrinkled his eyebrows, the lifted one of his legs. He reached out past the snow and touched the room's icy floor with his toe. Instantly, an Ice Keese appeared a few feet away. He quickly sliced it with his sword and brought his leg back onto the snow.

"Hmm...," Lydia murmured quietly. "**Levitation.**" 

Lydia moved out into the room, floating about six inches off the ground. She moved all about the icy room. Nothing appeared. She carefully dropped herself down to the ground near the center of the room. As soon as her feet touched the ice, a Wolfos jumped out of the ground. 

"Geez!  **Flare Arrow!**" The Wolfos howled and disappeared. "…**Levitation!**"

As soon as she was off the ground, the room stilled again. She floated over to a far edge of the room and dropped down onto the ice. Another Wolfos appeared with a howl. She killed it and, with a quick word of magic, zipped back over to the safety of the snow, where the boys were waiting.

"Ganondorf's got the damn _floor_ rigged!" she cursed.

"It's like a land mine," Gordon said. "A motion or pressure trap. He rigged the ice in this room."

"He's never done anything like that before," Link commented. "He really _is_ learning some new tricks."

Lydia scoffed. "What's he's _doing_ is finding new ways to piss me off." 

They continued down the hallway to the next room, where the Ice Cavern dead-ended. The room was empty. It was an enormous room with a high ceiling, about as large as the first room in the Fire Temple, and the floor was coated with ice. And nobody wanted to touch it.

"Do you think this ice is rigged, too?" Gordon asked openly, eyeing the ice in front of them.

"There's only one way to find out, I guess," Lydia said. She jumped up in the air and landed on the ice a few feet in the room. Her feet flew out from beneath her as she landed and she sailed to the floor. The boys jumped into fighting positions, waiting for something to appear. But nothing did.

Lydia carefully stood and rubbed her sore backside. She turned around toward the boys and smiled slightly, placing her hands on her hips. "The floor doesn't seem too rigged, does it?"

Suddenly, the entire cavern began to shake violently. Link's reflexes kicked in and his sword was out of the sheath instantly. Lydia got the most pathetic look on her face, and her arms dangled weakly at her sides. 

"Why me...?" 

Still bearing the pathetic look, she gazed over her shoulder, back into the room. Hunks of ice as large as men fell from the ceiling and walls, clattering to the floor. Within moments, the shaking stopped and the room was still once more. 

Gordon cautiously stepped into the room. "That's.... that's it?"

Link followed him, and then pointed past Lydia, toward the far wall. "Don't be so sure. Look."

The chunks of ice that had fallen from the ceiling started to move. Lydia moved quickly and jumped behind Link as the ice chunks crawled closer to each other, massing into one form in the center of the room. The block of ice grew to an incredible size and began to change shape. It became long and thin, and grew two arms and a mouth full of teeth. Within seconds, the three adventurers were standing in the doorway of the room, facing a full grown, angry Ice Dragon.

"Oh, joy," Lydia muttered blankly. "Another dragon."

The dragon reared its head and roared loudly, shaking snow and ice off the walls. The trio backed even farther through the doorway.

"Okay, Gordon," Lydia said. "Simple trivia question. What would an ice dragon be weak against?"

Everyone dropped to the ground as the dragon swung its huge tail past them, knocking the doorway to pieces. 

"Fire spells!" Gordon called back, running back toward the room. "**Flare Lance!**" A thick column of fire blasted out of the doorway and slammed into the dragon's arm, knocking it clean off. The ice arm flew across the room and hit the back wall, where is shattered into thousands of little pieces. The dragon flailed around in agony, roaring over and over.

"All right!" Lydia shouted, then turned to Link. "Do you have any fire weapons?"

Before he could answer, everyone's attention was suddenly pulled back to the dragon. More ice was forming where its arm had just been destroyed. The ice grew and took shape into a new arm. The dragon flexed its new claws around, and then turned back to the tasty-looking snacks on the ground.

"Not good..." Gordon muttered, backing out of the room again.

Link pulled out his bow and an arrow. He fitted the arrow into the bowstring, and as he pulled back, the tip of the arrow was suddenly coated in fire. Link let the Fire Arrow go, and it struck the ice dragon, melting away part of its head. The dragon again backed off in pain. 

"That'll only give us time to get away!" Link shouted. "He'll just regenerate that part of his head."

Lydia began to mutter strange words to herself. Gordon recognized them as magic, but couldn't tell what spell it was.

"**Flare Seal**," she said quietly after several long moments.

"What was that?" Link whispered to Gordon. 

Gordon shrugged his shoulders. "I dunno."

Lydia suddenly opened her eyes and shouted defiantly. "Volvagia had an advantage that this dragon does not have!"

"What advantage is that?" Gordon asked.

"This time, the Sorceress of Hyrule has her full powers back! Gordon, take Link and get OUT. I'm going to cast the strongest fire spell I know. This dragon'll be hit so hard that he won't have time to regenerate!"

Gordon's eyes widened. "The...the Burst Flare??" he stammered. "Are you _nuts_? You want to cast the Burst Flare in _here_!?"

"It has to be done, and I'm the only one who can do it! You're too young still!"

"That's not the point! There's too little space in here!"

Link shouted, "Won't you be caught in it, too?"

Behind them, the dragon growled loudly. The huge chunk that was missing off its head was beginning to regenerate.

"I'll be fine!" Lydia shouted angrily. "_Trust_ me! Now _scram_! The dragon's about to attack again!"

Gordon gritted his teeth, then grabbed Link's arm. "**Ray Wing!**"

Lydia waited until they disappeared around the corner, then turned to face the dragon again. She stood with as much bravery as she could muster. The dragon blinked its newly formed eye and hissed at the sorceress. Ice smoke trailed from the dragon's huge nostrils as it prepared to bring its massive tail down on its next meal. Lydia moved her hands around in strange gestures.

"_Source of all power, crimson fire burning bright. Let thy power gather in my hand and become an inferno!"_

The dragon roared loudly and began to swing its tail down.

"**_Burst Flare!!_**" 

***

"She's _crazy_!" Link shouted as he and Gordon broke out into the sunlight. "This is just like when she casted the Dragon Slave seven years ago!"

"She has plenty of power to cast the spell," Gordon said, "but it's the strongest fire magic a normal human can cast. Casting it in a place as cramped as the Ice Cavern is absolutely insane!"

"Do you think she'll be okay?"

"The spell will definitely kill the dragon. Its power to regenerate itself won't be able to keep up with a spell that strong. I just hope Lydia has enough common sense to throw a defense barrier up or something."

Just then, the dragon's roar rang out from the cavern, and it was drowned out by a huge explosion. Thick black smoke and fire poured out of the cavern's opening. Gordon flew away even farther to escape the extreme heat. 

When the fire burned itself out, smoke continued to pour out of the cavern. Link stared into the charred cavern blankly and shook his head hopelessly. "There's _no_ way she's okay after that."

"I sure hope you're wrong..." Gordon said quietly as he flew back into the smoke. 

All the ice and snow in the Ice Cavern had melted from the fire that had blasted through all the hallways. It wasn't even cold in there anymore. Gordon and Link flew through the room with the rigged floor and through the hallways until the reached the large room again. There was no sign of the dragon. All that was left were several large water patches on the floor. 

Lydia was sprawled on her back in the far corner of the room.

_Dammit_, Link cursed to himself. _Why do I always have to be right?_

The boys knelt down on the dry ground on both sides of the sorceress. Link reached out and shook her gently. She moaned quietly and lifted her hand into the air, forming a Victory _V_ with her fingers.

"...I'm okay..." she whispered. 

Link and Gordon each heaved a sigh of relief. ****

"You idiot," Link muttered as he helped Lydia up, "would you _quit_ doing stuff like that? Do you want to worry me to death?" 

Lydia patted the Hylian on the shoulder. "...Sorry," she said truthfully. "I killed the dragon, didn't I?"

"That you did," Gordon noted. "And you seem to have considerably warmed up the Ice Cavern, too."

Link held a lock of Lydia's hair in his fingers and looked at it closely. "You just blasted enough fire through here to roast every piece of meat in creation and your hair's not even singed."

Gordon looked at his sister curiously. "Even with a defense barrier, you should've taken _some_ damage."

Lydia smirked at him. "Did you notice what I did before I casted the Burst Flare?"

"Hmm... that's right," Link said. "You cast another spell first."

"The Flare Seal," Gordon said. "I haven't heard of that one."

Lydia smiled proudly. "A high-level anti-fire spell. I cast it on myself. Even in the middle of the Burst Flare explosion, the fire didn't touch me. The shockwave blew me down, that's all." She then poked Link in the stomach. "See? I'm not as crazy as I may seem to be." 

"I wouldn't say _that_," he muttered.

"Oh, shut up."

"Make me!"

"Make me make you!"

Link poked Lydia in the ribs and ran away, laughing like a child. Lydia chased after him, firing small spells at his feet.

Gordon shook his head solemnly. "And as I watch, the maturity level in this room drops below the scale," he muttered sarcastically. He casually glanced toward the back of the room and saw something new. There was a hole in the wall where a large wall of ice had once been. The sorcerer walked over to it and looked in. It was a small crevice, and in the back was a large treasure chest.****

Gordon turned back into the room to signal Link, but laughed at what he saw. Lydia had hold of one of Link's ankles and was dragging him across the scattered patches of water that were left on the floor. Link was laughing and squirming all over the place, trying to get away. "I'll teach you to call me crazy!" Gordon heard Lydia yelling as she continued dragging Link around the room. Gordon laughed again and ran to the rescue. 

*******

"Ruto said that what we'd find in there would be useful," Lydia said sternly. "I see nothing useful about those things."

Lydia glanced out over the frozen fountain, then up at the sky, and back at Link again, who had the Iron Boots cradled in his arms.

True, this was not what the adventurers had expected to find in that treasure chest in the cavern, but Link was working to find some use for them.

"Well, uh," he stammered, "maybe they'll have some use later on..."

"I _hope_ so," Lydia replied sharply. "I did _not_ go through all that dragon crap in there for no reason."

"Link's probably right," Gordon said. "Yeah, those boots seem useless now, but I'm sure there'll be a use for them later."

"The only thing I could see," Link said, "would be to use them as weights. But I'm no fish."

"Humph," Lydia grunted. "Maybe your dear fiancé could enlighten us."

Link closed his eyes tightly and shuddered.

Gordon shook his head. "Ruto said to meet her at the lake. Let's get moving."

As they walked, Lydia noticed the pitiful look on Link's face. She dropped back a bit and walked beside him.

"I'm sure you can work something out with Ruto," she said in a peaceful tone. "Maybe you won't have to marry her after all."

Link only shrugged. "We'll see."

"You'll just have to get yourself out of it. Besides, it's your fault to let yourself get tricked into that engagement in the first place."

"Well, _excuse_ me." 


	14. Chapter 14

_Worlds Apart_**_  
By Miss Lydia_**

**Chapter 14**

Lydia stretched her arms toward the sky, absorbing the bright sunlight. She was very happy to be back in the warm air. After all that business in the Ice Cavern, Hyrule Field had never seemed so welcoming.

"Ruto said that she would meet us at the lake," she heard Link say to her brother.

"Why the lake?" Gordon asked.

Lydia let her arms fall and started toward where the boys were standing, just on the other side of Zora River.

"Supposedly," Link said, "that's where the Water Temple is. It's said to be at the bottom."

"I've never noticed anything down there....,"

Suddenly, Lydia started laughing quietly to herself. Gordon and Link turned to her with their eyebrows raised.

"What's funny?" Gordon asked her.

"There's a _Water_ Temple, too?" Lydia replied. She started waving her hands. "Wait, wait, let me guess. There's a temple for every sage. We have to go to each temple and conquer the bad guys there to awaken the sage, therefore coming one step closer to our ultimate goal."

Link shrugged. "I guess. What's funny about that?"

"It's painfully like the plot of some video game."

The Hylian tilted his head. "...What's a video game?"

Lydia shook her head. "You poor, deprived soul. I'll explain it to you later." She slugged Gordon in the shoulder and said, "I'm right though, aren't I? It's like a video game! Swords and sorcery, beating the game step-by-step to rescue a beautiful princess and save the world!"

Gordon crossed his arms impatiently. "Well, kinda."

"I love it!" his sister continued. "This whole adventure, even though we face danger every day, is so much fun! I don't know if I'll _ever_ want to go back home."

Link and Gordon exchanged glances, then turned and started toward the lake. Behind them, Lydia looked hurt and ran after them. 

"Oh, come on, you guys!" she coaxed as she stopped them by a tree. "I was only trying to lighten the mood a little." She jumped in front of them, standing in the tree's shade.

Gordon smiled. "There's no harm in that. We just wanted to get moving, that's all."

Lydia rested one hand on the tree trunk. "You two are too serious sometimes, you know."

Link flinched suddenly and raised his eyes into the tree. His gaze pierced the leaves without wavering. After a moment, he slowly dropped his eyes back down again.

"....And you're always in a hurry to do this or go there or fight some monster," Lydia continued, gesturing with her hands.

Gordon scoffed. "Are you forgetting that Zelda's in that horrible castle as a hostage?" he reminded her with an angry tone. 

Link's eyes darted back to the leaves again. He shifted his feet uneasily.

Lydia hung her head. "No, I haven't forgotten poor Zelda. I just....,"

"Hey," Link said calmly, finally bringing his eyes back down again. "Do me a favor and come here a second." He reached forward and took Lydia's hand, and calmly pulled her toward him, out from under the tree.

"H-Hey...what...?" she started to ask. 

Something suddenly flew down out of the tree and landed right behind Lydia with a sickening _thunk_. The sorceress was startled so badly that she jumped forward, right up into Link's arms. As Link shifted to support her extra weight on his feet, Lydia glanced down where she had been standing.

A sharpened scimitar was embedded in the grass.

Lydia recognized the weapon immediately and burned with anger. Everyone shifted their gaze up into the tree. A woman was perched on one of the branches.

"_Nabooru!_" she shouted, still clinging to Link. "Why you lousy.....do you realize that's _twice_ you've asked me to feed you a Dragon Slave--?!"

"Do tell....," Nabooru replied coldly. "And here I thought I'd be rid of you after _one_ try.... You're quite a pest, aren't you?"

Lydia let go of Link's neck and swung a fist up at the Gerudo, yelling various obscenities.

"Calm down, okay?" Link whispered in her ear.

Lydia started swinging her arms and kicking her legs. "_Calm down?_ I'm not calming down! There's no way I can calm down after this witch tried to kill me _twice!_" Link struggled to keep from dropping her as she swung about. 

Gordon watched the mysterious woman in the tree as she slid down the trunk. He didn't need to ask to know that this was the Gerudo that had attacked Link and Lydia earlier. Judging from the evil gleam in her eye, he figured she was definitely not acting on her own. She was surely a minion of Ganondorf's.

Nabooru bent down, yanked her scimitar out of the ground, and slid it back into her belt. Link gently set Lydia back on the ground, but kept a firm grip on her shoulders to keep her from rushing at the Gerudo.

"Now I see there is a third member of your party," Nabooru said. "It matters little. The Triforce of Courage will be mine."

Gordon's eyes narrowed. Link's eyes gleamed wildly. Lydia's eyes turned as red as fire.

"Come here and say that to my _face_, you horrible witch!" she shouted.

Nabooru chuckled softly. "That mouth of yours will surely get you into trouble someday."

The sorceress positioned both of her hands at her side. "Want to test me?" she asked with a snarl. A fireball glowed gently between her hands.

Link pulled her back and stepped forward, standing defiantly. "Your business is with me, Gerudo," he said. "Leave these two out of it."

"Hmm...," Nabooru murmured. "I see you're the noble type. Unfortunately, I have my orders."

"And what are _those_....?" Link asked slyly as he slowly pulled the Master Sword from its sheath.

The Gerudo warrior widened her eyes with excitement. "Oh?" she questioned the Hylian. "I thought you had a 'thing' about fighting girls."

Link flinched. She was right, but he'd have to hold his ground. At least he could intimidate her a little. Maybe she'd back down. 

"Mr. Hero might have a 'thing' about fighting girls, but _I_ don't!" Lydia ran forward and pushed Link back. "Stand aside, Link, this one's mine!"

"Until next time!" Nabooru shouted suddenly. She turned west and dashed away with unbelievable speed.

"Oh, no you don't! **_Fire-BALL!_**" Lydia reared her arm back and pitched the fireball as far as she could. It landed right behind the fleeing woman and exploded, but Nabooru just ran out of its range as the fire spread. Within seconds, she had disappeared into the valley.

Gordon stared after her with his mouth hanging open. "In..Incredible!" he stuttered. "I've never seen anyone run that fast! She was running as fast as I can _fly_!"

Link sheathed his sword again. "It's as unnatural as your flight is," he said. "She's aided by Ganondorf's magic, don't forget."

"It can't be anything else but magic. No one can ever outrun one of Lydia's fireballs, _especially_ when she's angry."

Link turned to Lydia, who was several feet away from them. Her fists were clenched, her teeth were grinding against each other, and her gaze never left the point on the horizon where Nabooru disappeared. As Gordon looked at his sister, he could just imagine flames swirling around her as she stood there.

The sorceress turned suddenly and all of her muscles relaxed again. She walked over to Link, reached up, and ruffled his hair.

"Thanks again, hero," she said gratefully. "How did you know she was in that tree?"

Link straightened his hair out and said, "No one can sneak up on me that easily. I saw a shadow move up there, and sure enough, she was sitting on one of the branches, staring at you. I waited to see if she would do something."

Gordon stepped forward. "It seems she's after you most," he said to his sister. "You had better be more alert. Link probably won't be with you one hundred percent of the time."

"Well," Link stammered, "I'll stay with her as much as I—"

"Don't worry!" Lydia interrupted with a cheerful tone. "Next time I see that woman, she'll be sorry she ever laid _eyes_ on me!" She flexed her shoulders and looked at her brother. "Let's just hope your little Triforce secret doesn't get out, or she'll be after _you_."

Gordon absently glanced around him, then said, "I'll be careful."

Link shrugged his shoulders with a "whatever" look on his face.

"Until then," Lydia continued. "I'll humor you. I'll be careful."

She turned confidently and strolled south with her eyes bright. Behind her, Gordon crept up to Link and whispered in his ear.

"You'd better stay really close and keep a good eye on her," he said. "Don't trust her to be careful."

Link nodded as he watched Lydia jump up and fly toward the lake. "I know she'll be more careful," he said, "but I'll watch her."

Gordon gripped Link's wrist tightly. "Good. Just don't be too obvious about it. If she finds out you're being sneaky like that, you'll have to ask yourself an important question. **Ray Wing!**"

Link's eyebrows wrinkled. "Yeah. '_Which spell will she blast me with?_'." 

***

_Ugh_, Ruto thought bitterly. _WHAT is taking them so long to get here?_

The Zora princess stood on the shore of the drained Lake Hylia, staring down at the entrance of the Water Temple. She had never seen a more pathetic sight. Ever since before she was born, Lake Hylia had always been full of clear water. It had always been a gathering place of the Zora race. But while her fiancé Link was gone, Ganondorf came into power and did horrible things to Hyrule, including nearly destroying Lake Hylia. Even though water still flowed down Zora's River, the lake would not fill. It was just a hole in the ground now. A pitiful sight, indeed.

And as Ruto stood there, she began to grow impatient. She had been waiting for Link and his two friends for a long time now. She couldn't care less about the sorcerers, especially the girl, but she longed for Link to hurry and arrive, so she could give him the present she had cradled in her arms. Then, as she thought about her love, another thought came to her mind.

"Link had two people with him," Ruto reminded herself. "First, there's that small boy, the sorcerer. He is not Hylian; his strange small ears give that away. I wonder what world he comes from....where Hylians do not live..?"

Another thought struck, and Ruto's fins shuddered and her eyebrows dropped angrily.

"And then there's the other one. That girl sorceress. She is not Hylian, either, and is possibly related to the boy. She looks enough like him to be his sister. But there was something I don't like about her. She looked at Link in a strange way. She did it several times in the short time I was around her. She looked at my dear fiancé in a way that only another woman would notice. I wonder what he is to her? I wonder what she is to him? That wicked girl had better _not_ be here to steal my Link away from me....!"

"_Heeyyyy, Princess Ruuuttoooo!!!_" a voice suddenly called from the sky.

The voice shrieked at her from somewhere in the sky. It pierced the stillness of the lake and startled Ruto so badly that she almost dropped Link's gift. The Zora princess composed herself quickly, as she had always been taught to do, and the looked up toward the clouds.

Lydia was flying toward her from Hyrule Field, waving her arm.

Ruto frowned. "Speak of the devil...," she muttered. She then smiled and tried to act as cheerful as possible. She held Link's present in one arm and waved to the sorceress with the other.

Lydia touched down beside Ruto and clapped her on the shoulder. "Hey, how are ya I'm fine thanks you would not _believe_ what happened to us in that lousy cavern do you happen to remember my name you probably don't remember so I'll tell you again my name is Lydia and I'm the most powerful sorceress in Hyrule I'm sure I'm even more powerful that Mr. Big Ganondorf With The Big Nose—(she stopped momentarily to take a breath)....anyway we went in the cavern and we ran into this big dragon and I of course killed it with my bare hands because I'm just that good hey I heard you tricked Link into being your fiancé that was a really slick thing to do I think you may even be more sneaky than _me_ believe it or not I could probably learn a few things from you so how long have you been waiting here it looks pretty boring this lake used to be beautiful but it's not much to look at anymore do you still—"

"_STOP!_" Ruto suddenly shrieked. "Slow...DOWN...please...!"

The sorceress scratched the back of her head. "....Sorry. I'm just a little high-strung right now. We faced some real excitement back there, like I already said. Plus I was visited by a...friend...in the field."

"I..I'm afraid I didn't catch a single thing you said," Ruto admitted, silently adding "_you insane nutcase_"to herself.

"Heh, that's okay. I don't think _I_ caught a single thing I said, either." 

Despite the fact that Ruto didn't like this girl very much, she laughed. _The girl is loud and rather obnoxious_, Ruto thought as she laughed, _but she is kind-spirited. I'll give her that one_.

Lydia stopped laughing and glanced up into the sky. She shielded her eyes from the sun and smiled. "Ah," she murmured. "Here they come."

Ruto followed her gaze. Flying above them was the sorcerer boy she had met earlier, and he was holding Link by his wrist. Link waved down at the girls, and they both waved back. They pierced each other with evil-eye glances as they lowered their arms again.

Before Ruto could claim the royalties on her fiancé, Lydia suddenly was cheerful again. She pointed to Link's gift.

"Whatcha got there?" Lydia asked her.

Ruto put on her cheerful-and-peaceful-act and smiled at her. "It's a present for my dear Link."

Lydia jumped up and down as the boys landed near them. "What-is-it-what-is-it?"

Link appeared next to them and asked the same thing. "Whatcha got there, Ruto?" 

Ruto's face brightened so much it probably made the sun jealous. She extended her hands and pushed the blue bundle of cloth into Link's arms. "It's a present from me, your fiancé!"

Gordon stepped up anxiously beside the Hylian. "What is it?" he asked.

Link took hold of one edge of the cloth and let the rest of it fall. It unrolled itself so everyone could see. It was a tunic, much like Link's classic green, but it was a dark blue color. It was even complete with the blue hat.

Lydia looked at it and immediately gave her opinion before anyone else had the chance. "Good taste, Ruto," she said. "Link, I think you'd look really good in this color. Better than in that red thing you wore in the mountain."

Link looked at Ruto. "Thank you!" he said truthfully. "I really like it. Just my style, too."

Ruto beamed. "Not only will it be useful to you in the Water Temple, you must have it if you're going to live with me!"

Gordon looked at her. "What do you mean?"

"That's a special Zora tunic. With that, Link will be able to breathe the water as easily as he breathes air."

Link looked at the tunic again. "Wow," he muttered in awe. "That's _really_ useful." 

Gordon's eyes widened. "Link, those boots you found in the Ice Cavern! You could use these two things in the Water Temple."

"Oh yeah!" Link reached behind his shield and hauled the Iron Boots out, dropping them heavily on the ground in front of him. "I could sink with these and breathe with _this_."

Lydia rubbed her chin. "Y'know, I have a spell that can handle that instead—"

Link elbowed her hard in the side, then leaned to her ear. "I _know_ that," he whispered as quietly as he could, "but I'm just going to show a little appreciation, okay?"

Lydia, feeling like a jerk, nodded and looked at the ground.

Link nodded back, then looked back at Ruto with a smile. "Thanks, really, this will be a big help."

Ruto again made the sun jealous with her bright face. 

"Are you coming with us?" Gordon asked her.

"No, I'm afraid not," she replied. "I should really get back to the fountain. I want to be there when the Zoras are released from that ice."

Link smiled at her. "That's understandable. You go ahead. We'll handle things here."

Ruto bowed to the trio gracefully. "I wish you the best of luck. Dear Link, brave sorcerer, and..." She looked at Lydia and stopped. Lydia raised her eyes to meet hers. "....and, well, you too." With that, she waved goodbye and ran past them. Within seconds, she had disappeared into Hyrule Field. 

Lydia stared after her with mean eyes. As soon as Ruto was out of hearing range, she shouted after her with a highly sarcastic tone. "Yeah, _fine_! Good luck to _you_, too!"

"Y'know," Link scolded, "you really should try to be nicer to people. She's the princess of the Zora race, after all."

Lydia looked at him and shrugged her shoulders. "I didn't mean anything, really. You go ahead and wear those heavy boots if you really want to. I'll take care of myself and Gordon."

Gordon studied his sister. "He's right, Lyd. I'm not so ignorant that I didn't notice you two seem to have some grudge against each other. Why?"

Lydia shrugged again. "I dunno."

"All right, whatever."

The sorceress glanced at Link as he pulled the blue tunic over his head. _Good question. Why do I have a grudge against Ruto?_, she asked herself as she watched Link struggle to find the arm holes of the tunic. _I barely know her, and I seem to have something against her. And it has nothing to do with Link, regardless of what she and Gordon may think. _Lydia smiled as she watched Gordon try to help Link find where his arms go. 

_......It has absolutely **nothing** to do with Link......Right?_ _....R-Right._

She snapped back into reality when she heard Link call to her from the lake's shoreline. "Hey, Litter! Are you coming?" He was sitting on the grass, trying to yank on one of the heavy boots.

Lydia smiled and met the boys down at the shore. Link was giving her a strange look.

"Are you sure you're all right?" he asked her as he pulled on the second boot. "I thought for sure you'd pound me for calling you that again."

"Oh," Lydia replied absently. "Forget it."

"...Are you _sure_ nothing's bothering you?"

The sorceress only shook her head. "Nah."

Link didn't take his eyes away. He seemed determined to get a real answer.

Lydia looked at him suddenly and put her fists on her hips. "W..Why are you looking at me like that? Are you sick or something?"

The Hylian sighed and shook his head. "Man, if I had a rupee for every time someone asked me that....,"

Gordon waved his hands. "All right, all right, let's just drop it there," he said, playing referee again. He looked down at Link, who was still on the ground. "Are you ready yet?"

Link leaned forward and balanced himself on the boots. Carefully, he stood up and tested his weight. He tried to step forward, but his feet were pinned to the ground.

"These are really _heavy_!" he complained. With a groan, he heaved one leg forward, then heaved the next one in front. Once he got the rhythm going, he started down toward the bottom of the lake.

Lydia stared after him and smiled with pity. "I'd hate to get caught in those things."

"Well," Gordon said, "he'll have the advantage in there. He'll have a much easier time moving around than we will."

"Advantage, my butt. Look how much trouble he's having even _walking_."

"Once he gets in the water, pulling the weight will be easier."

"Yeah, I guess. Shall we follow?"

The sorcerers followed Link down into the lake, catching up quickly. Link stood at the edge of the water that was left and peered down into the bottom of the lake. Suddenly, he smiled and pointed into the water. Lydia and Gordon followed his gaze to the lake bottom. Embedded in the side of the island in the center of the lake was an iron gate.

"See?" Link declared, still smiling. "Water Temple."

"Okay, great!" Gordon said. 

"Go on ahead, Link," Lydia said. "We'll be right with you."

Link shrugged and dragged forward. As soon as the Iron Boots were in the water, he could lift them a lot easier. By the time he had disappeared under the surface, he was walking at a normal speed.

Lydia looked at her brother. "Now, this spell will last a long time, but you're right about Link's manuverability advantage. It'll still be hard to move around."

"So Link can do anything that requires that advantage. Will we be able to cast any spells?"

"Yeah, the spell doesn't take concentration to keep going. But we'll have to be careful. Water is a lot different than our normal battlefield. Fire spells will probably be dispelled instantly. Also, don't cast any lightning spells unless you feel like dying."

Gordon crossed his arms. "This is surely gonna be a new challenge."

Lydia closed her eyes and placed one hand around Gordon's neck, and the other on her own. "**Aqua Breathe.**" Gordon felt a small surge of energy coarse through his body, and then it was gone. Lydia dropped her hands and opened her eyes again.

"Come on," she said with a smile, "let's not let Link have all the fun." With that, she ran several steps forward and dove into the water, followed closely by her brother. The spell worked like a charm. It was like they were swimming out in the open air. 

Lydia positioned herself next to Link. He was standing on the bottom of the lake, staring at the iron gate with a hand on his chin. The sorceress took hold of his arm to keep from floating away.

"So," Lydia asked him. "How do we get in?"

"That's just what I was trying to figure out," he replied as Gordon appeared on the other side of him. 

Lydia looked the gate up and down. It was a simple-looking iron gate, and it was rather rusted after being in the water for so long. Behind the gate was dark passage. 

The next thing she noticed was a strange diamond shaped structure right above the door. It seemed so out of place that she just _had_ to point it out.

But Gordon beat her to it.

"What's that thing?" he asked, pointing to it.

Lydia scowled, but didn't feel like getting mad. "Yeah, I noticed that, too."

Link walked up to the gate. Planting his feet down firmly, he yanked and pulled on the iron bars. He gave up quickly and turned around. "It's shut tight," he said. Then he looked up at the diamond. "Maybe that thing's a trigger to open it."

Lydia and Gordon swam closer to the diamond. Link transferred back into his Kokiri boots and swam up to join them. He looked at the diamond closely and ran is fingers across it. After a few moments, he looked up at the sorcerers.

"This thing is made out of a special kind of metal, only found in a select few places. I know of only one item that can trigger this diamond to do anything."

Lydia held onto the diamond to keep from floating up to the surface. "Well, do we know _what_ this item is and _where_ to find one?"

Link smiled. "Yes, and yes," he said. Using the diamond as a foothold, he pushed up toward the surface. The sorcerers followed closely. Lydia tasted the fresh air again as Link pulled himself up onto the island. 

As the sorcerers climbed out, Gordon asked, "So, since you say you know, what is this item and where can we find one?"

Lydia sat down on the grass, took of her shoe, and dumped the water out of it, all the while mumbling about how much she hated being wet.

Link wrung the excess water out of his tunic with his hands. "It's a little trinket called the Hookshot, and a friend of mine owns it. Maybe he'll let me borrow it." The Hylian took his hat off and tried to shake the water out of his long braid.

"Where's your friend live?" Gordon attempted to wipe the water off of his glasses.

"In Kakariko," he replied as he wrung his hat dry.  

Lydia stood up and wrung water out of her long hair. "Let's go," she said. "The wind will dry us off."

"**Ray Wing!**"

***

"Down there!" Link shouted up at Lydia as he pointed toward the ground. "Land over there!"

Lydia looked down at Kakariko Village, then toward where Link was pointing.

"...Isn't that a graveyard?" she asked as they neared the ground.

Gordon looked at Link when the landed. "Your friend's _alive_, right?"

Link laughed and said, "Yeah. His name is Dampé. He's the caretaker of the graveyard."

Lydia ran her fingers through her wind-dried hair. "You're friends with some old guy? Have we ever met him?"

"No, I don't think so. The last time I visited him was before you and Gordon came to Hyrule. He showed me his Hookshot when I was really young." Link laughed again when he remembered the last time he had visited Dampé. "I remember once I 'borrowed' his Hookshot while he wasn't looking and ended up getting stuck in a tree."

Gordon laughed. "I can see that happening."

"I've only had bad experiences with trees, like the time Lydia dragged me through—" Link looked next to him and saw grass where Lydia had just been. "Where'd she go?"

Gordon looked ahead and saw a shadow disappear into the graveyard. "And she says _we're_ always in a hurry."

Link shrugged and ran ahead. "Well, you know _her_."

The boys caught up quickly. When Link turned the corner, he had to dodge to the side to avoid running over Lydia. She was standing just around the corner, staring absently into the graveyard. She shivered and shrunk back a few steps. 

"...I don't like that place," she announced nervously. "I sense evil in there."

Link grabbed her wrist and gently pulled her along. "Even before Ganondorf took over, ReDeads sometimes can be found under some of the graves. Don't worry though, they only come out at night."

Lydia stared past him absently. "Still, I can't shake the feeling...,"

Gordon chuckled. "You worry too much sometimes."

His sister glared at him. "No, I worry exactly the right amount." She pulled her wrist free of Link's grasp. "All right, Dodongo Buster, I'll take your word for it."

The trio stuck close to each other as they entered the graveyard. It was probably the most forbidding place they had visited, aside from the post-Ganondorf market. It wasn't run down, but there was a strange aura hanging above their heads. The graveyard was in good condition, as far as the sorcerers could see, but Link didn't think so.

"This place has slightly gone into disrepair..," he noted quietly. "Dampé always kept the grass and flowers, but now they're overgrown. Some of the tombstones are chipped." Link's eyebrows wrinkled with worry and he moved away toward a small hut on the south side of the graveyard. The sorcerers watched as he knocked on the door.

"Dampé?" Link called. "It's Link. Are you in there?"

Lydia crossed her arms. "Let's hope the old guy remembers you, or else it'll just get complicated."

"Oh, he'll remember me. I visited him several times a week when I was young. He knew me better than anyone else in Hyrule. ....Besides Saria, maybe." Link pounded on the door again. "Dampé!"

"Who's Saria?" Lydia asked.

"My best friend, from Kokiri Village. You'll probably meet her soon." 

Link snarled and pounded on the door yet again. When still no answer came, Link turned the knob and disappeared into the small hut. The sorcerers watched the empty doorway and waited. After a few moments, Link came dashing out of the hut, looking rather troubled. He stopped and looked frantically across the graveyard.

Lydia tilted her head. "What's wrong?"

Link's eyes landed on the far north side of the graveyard. "Ah-hah!" He ran past the sorcerers and stopped at a gravestone with flowers in front of it. Lydia and Gordon caught up quickly and looked at the stone. It was exactly like all the others in the graveyard – the only thing that made it any different was the flowers. 

Link rubbed his hands together. "I think this is the one....," he muttered. Lydia was absolutely horrified when Link started pulling the stone along the ground. She shrieked at him immediately. 

"Have you no respect for the _dead_??" she shouted angrily. "How would _you_ like it if some punk kid came along and decided to drag _your_ tombstone all over the world?"

The Hylian grunted and continued to pull on the tombstone. "I'll worry about that when I'm dead, okay?"

"This is _sacriledge_, you jerk!"

Link finally let go of the stone and rubbed his hands. "Don't worry, he won't mind. He invited me to do this, anyway." He stood and stared at what was under the tombstone.

"The dead don't _invite _people to visit them! Why don't you—"

Gordon poked her sharply and pointed down to the ground. Lydia looked to see that there was a huge hole in the ground now. It had been completely hidden by the tombstone. The sorceress looked at Link and read his expression. She knew immediately what he was going to tell them to do next.

"_Ooo-hhoo_ NO," she protested with a shudder. "I'm not jumping down in no hole, especially the hole that's supposed to be someone's _grave_! For-get-IT! If you think you'll ever get me to--- HEY!"

Link grabbed a hold of her shoulders and pushed her toward the hole. With a quick shove, she had disappeared. Her voice echoed up from the cavern below. 

"I'll get you for this, Dodongo Buster!!"

Gordon laughed. "I see you've learned how to handle her."

Link smirked and jumped into the hole, followed shortly by Gordon. The graveyard was once again desolate and deprived of any life.


	15. Chapter 15

**_Worlds Apart  
Part II  
By Miss Lydia_******

**Chapter 15**

The hole under the grave was rather deep, but it still didn't take long for the boys to hit bottom. They landed on the man-made brick floor of a cavern. It was an ordinary square room. Very plain. No other words can describe it, really. Although, once both Link and Gordon had landed, they noticed something rather unusual. Lydia had gone in first, thanks to Link, but she was nowhere in sight.

Link glanced around to each of the four walls, but the sorceress wasn't anywhere in the room. He saw a hallway at the far end of the room, but it had a dirt floor that didn't have any footprints on it. Link walked over to Gordon, who was still standing in the center of the room.

"...Where do you think she could have gone?" he asked, with a noticeable tone of worry in his voice. "Maybe she's playing a trick." 

While Link spoke, Gordon's eyes shifted behind the Hylian and up to the corner of the ceiling. Lydia was clinging to the crack where the ceiling and walls met. She floated down soundlessly and landed about five feet behind Link, then she slowly started to creep forward. Gordon opened his mouth to give Link a warning, but Lydia shot a glare. Her vicious eyes said it all.

"_Say anything, and I'll twist your head off_," her eyes told him silently.

Being smart enough, Gordon looked back at Link and said "Yeah, probably...she's always doing stuff like that."

Link's eyes suddenly shifted to the side. Then he smirked and looked back at Gordon again. "Still, I _thought_ she'd be more grown up than this," he said loudly, with an almost mocking tone. "This place is hardly the place to play tricks."

Still creeping soundlessly, Lydia inched closer to Link. When she was right behind him, she raised her hands and twisted her fingers into claw shapes, then poised her muscles to pounce on him.

Link shifted his eyes to the side again and smiled. His left arm suddenly shot behind him, and he dug all of his fingers into Lydia's ribcage. She shrieked and jumped three feet in the air. Link turned around laughing. 

The sorceress glared at him. "...How did you know--"

Link only laughed at her. "--that you're extremely ticklish?"

"NO. How did you know I was behind you? I didn't even make a sound! And yet, somehow, you knew I was there the whole time."

Link smiled. "I also knew that you're extremely ticklish."

Off to the side, Gordon was chuckling quietly to himself. Lydia shot him the look of death, then looked back at Link again.

Link smiled cockily and walked closer to the dirt hallway, then turned around to face the sorcerers again. "I told you already. Nobody can sneak up on me. You've seen that several times, I'm sure." 

As he spoke, a mist formed behind him. The sorcerers looked on with wide eyes as they watched the white mist behind Link soundlessly take shape. Soon, the shade of an old man floated a few feet off the ground. Lydia and Gordon were too stunned to react, so Link continued to talk.

"It's these ears of mine," he said as he stroked his right ear with his fingers. "Sometimes I'm very thankful to have them."

The shade reached forward and tapped Link on the shoulder, then whispered in his ear. "Liiinnnkkkk......"

Link stiffened and turned as white as the shade. "Aahh!" He ran forward and hid himself behind Lydia. The sorceress laughed loudly. 

"Oh come ON, Mr. Triforce of Courage," she boasted. "Don't tell me you're afraid of a little old ghost...."

And suddenly she realized what she had just said.

"_G-G-GHOST!_" Lydia whipped around and jumped behind Link, hiding her face behind his shoulder. 

Gordon, who was still too stunned to move, stared at the old man ghost. The ghost threw his head back and laughed shrilly, so it echoed through the whole cavern. 

Link took a good look at the ghost. Within seconds, his face relaxed and he started laughing, too. "Geez, Dampé, you scared the crap out of me," he said through a smile. "There you go again -- always playing your little jokes on me."

Lydia peered over Link's shoulder with one eye and looked at the old man. 

"My friend," the ghost said. "Don't tell me you're afraid of me, now that I'm like this?"

Link, still smiling, shook his head. "No, you just startled me pretty badly, that's all."

Lydia narrowed her eyes and looked at Link. "What was all that about 'no one can sneak up on me'? Huh?"

Link looked back at her. "Well, no one that's _alive_ can sneak up on me, anyway."

Gordon looked at the old man. "I thought you said Dampé was alive."

"He _was_ the last time I saw him, seven years ago. But he left me a note in his hut, asking me to come visit."

The ghost of Dampé smiled, showing that several teeth were missing. "It's great to see you again, little friend," he said happily, "although it seems you're not so little anymore. Where have you been all this time?"

The Hylian smiled and rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, it's kind of a long story. I guess I can try to make it short for you."

Gordon snickered. "Just don't let Lydia tell the story. We'll be here all night."

Dampé waved one of his translucent hands. "Ah, sonny, you can tell me next time you visit." He floated closer, waving his lantern. "Anything special happening today?" 

"Actually, I have a little favor to ask."

"Oh? What could a strong young man like you need from a ghost like me?"

Lydia poked her head around Link's arm long enough to speak. "We want your Hookshot," she said quickly, then she immediately hid behind Link again.

Link clenched his teeth together and looked over his shoulder. "Don't be so blunt!" he groaned. "You make it sound like a demand!"

Dampé laughed to himself. "Oh-ho-ho, it is the Hookshot you want?"

Gordon smiled at the ghost and pretended not to be the least bit intimidated by him. "Yes, please, if it is not too much trouble...."

Link tapped his fingers together. "You see, friend, uh, we're on a quest to save Hyrule, and we're rather stuck right now. We need the Hookshot to gain access to our next obstacle."

Lydia raised her head into view and rested her chin on Link's shoulder. "So," she said meekly, "would it be possible for us to have it...?"

"_Borrow_ it," Link corrected loudly.

Gordon clasped his hands behind his back. "We probably won't need it long. It would be _really_ great if Link could borrow your Hookshot, so we can save Hyrule and everything."

Lydia lowered her head so that only her eyes were visible from behind Link. "You see, we really, really need it, Mr. Ghost of Dampé."

Dampé suddenly let out another bellowing laugh that echoed through the whole cavern. He rubbed his head and smiled at the group.

"Friend Link, of _course_ you can borrow my Hookshot. You and your friends don't have to try to impress me or beg me. But a word of advice first."

"What's that?" Link asked.

"Be careful with it this time. If you get yourself stuck in a tree again, I can't help you."

Link smiled meekly and looked at the floor. "Very funny."

Dampé smiled, once again bearing his toothless gums. "But as long as you're here, let's have a little competition, eh?"

Lydia sighed from her place behind the Hylian. "I knew there'd be a catch. There's _always_ a catch."

"Ssh!" Link hushed her sharply. 

"Friend Link, have you grown fast on your feet?" Dampé asked. "Why don't we have a little footrace through these twisted catacombs?"

Link tilted his head. "There are catacombs down here?"

"Oh yes. I know them very well – I've lived here for a few years now. I'll head toward where I keep my Hookshot. If you can keep up with me and not get lost in the catacombs, I'll lend you my Hookshot."

Lydia didn't like the idea one bit. For the first time, she stepped bravely out from behind Link and stood beside Gordon. "And what happens if we _do_ lose track of you and _do_ get lost, huh?"

Dampé's eyes narrowed slightly and he gummed another smile. Suddenly, he turned into a white mist and vanished. Three pairs of wide eyes stayed glued to where he had just been. 

"Ugh!" Lydia grunted. "Now where'd the old guy go?"

Lydia, in the middle, stood her ground and glanced around. On either side of her, Link and Gordon turned to face her just in time to see the white mist form behind her. They started to giggle quietly, but didn't say anything.

The sorceress' dark eye pierced the very walls of the room as she searched for the ghost of the old man, not thinking to look behind her. Dampé fully materialized behind her and raised his hands in the air. He shook his head back and forth and let his cheeks and lips fly free. "_Booga booga! Blaaahh!!"_

Lydia turned white and shrieked, and with a single flying leap, she was back behind Link, clinging to the back of his blue tunic. The two boys could barely stand through all their laughter. Dampé was laughing so hard he seemed certain to fall right out of the air.

The old ghost wiped away a transparent tear and said, "Ah, Link, thanks for bringing your friends. Your girlfriend is just as fun as you are to scare!" 

Link's mouth snapped shut, his eyes widened to the size of dinner plates, and his face turned the deepest red even possible. Lydia's fiery red eyes appeared around Link's shoulder and she glared angrily at the ghost.

"Girlfriend...?" she growled.

"Uh oh...," Gordon sighed.  "Here comes the hurricane."

"Is that what you just said, old man...? _Huh_?"

She shoved Link to the side and charged at the ghost with her right fist recoiled. She swung at Dampé, only to go right through him. The momentum of her punch took her to the ground when it didn't hit anything. She stood quickly and started kicking at him and swinging more punches. Through all this, Dampé floated there calmly with the most sarcastic look on his face. Then he looked over at Link, who hadn't moved an inch. 

"She's a very entertaining girl," he said as Lydia swung a punch through his head. "You picked a good one for a girlfriend." He flashed a gummy smile.

Link was so embarrassed that he actually started to tremble slightly. 

Eventually, Lydia grew tired, and just stood in place, panting loudly. She glared up at the old man with dark eyes. "I...am....not....his....girlfriend..... Do...you...hear....me....old...man...?"

"Barely, since you're so tired," Dampé replied with a chuckle. "Besides, you can't hide anything from an old man like me. I can tell a relationship when I see one."

Lydia's teeth ground against each other. "Why...you...lousy...." Placing a hand at her side, she chanted angrily. "_Wind which blows across eternity, gather in my hands and—_"

Link recovered suddenly and both he and Gordon jumped on the sorceress, and all three of them tumbled to the ground. She lost her concentration and the spell wavered and dispelled.

"You and your temper," Gordon grunted.

"Take it easy!" Link scorned. "Why are you getting so mad, anyway?"

Lydia looked up at Link and her face softened. She looked at the ground again. "I...I dunno." She shook free of the boys' grasp and glanced up at the ghost. "I'm sorry, old guy. I really didn't mean anything..."

Dampé threw his head back and bellowed his laugh again. "I like you, girl. You're very funny. You two make a great couple!"

Lydia and Link _both_ turned red and crawled away from each other. Gordon laughed and smiled up at the ghost.

"You're right," he said, "they _are_ kinda funny, actually."

Lydia pierced him with the look of death again, and he shut his mouth. 

"I meet the strangest people in this world. _....Anyway,_" Lydia snapped, trying to drop the subject completely, "can you answer my question? What happens if we _do_ get lost? Catacombs are supposedly places that, well, aren't much fun."

"Oh, I'll come find you," the ghost replied plainly, "if you can't find your way out. But that's boring."

"So all you're doing is playing with us?" she scoffed back.

Dampé shrugged. "All you have to do is keep up with me...."

Link looked over at Lydia. "Not such a bad game really," he said, "and we get the Hookshot if we win."

"Well," she murmured, "if you say so."

Dampé gummed a smile again. "So you're finally ready for the race? All you three have to do is keep up with me and not get lost."

Gordon looked optimistic. "Sounds easy enough."

Lydia leaned over to his ear. "Something tells me it won't be as easy as Toothless is making it out to be."

Link poked her arm. "Be nice, now...," he whispered.

"Okay!" Dampé's voice lifted and he floated toward the dirt-bottom hallway. "Follow me, then!" Without further words, he flew down the hallway. As he rounded the corner, Link jumped up and pulled the sorcerers to their feet. 

"C'mon!" he said as he took off. "We have to catch up!"

Lydia ran beside him. "No need to run after the guy, you know. **Ray W**—"

Link slugged her in the shoulder. "No! It's a foot race, remember? Don't cheat."

"Ugh, fine."

Gordon shook his head as they rounded the corner. _Honestly....it never fails._

Since they had all been on the ground at the start of the race, Dampé had gotten a head start and had already disappeared. They dashed down the hall only to hit a fork. A path went left, and a path went right. They stopped dead at the intersection and looked around desperately. They looked down the right path, which was desolate and lonely, then down the left. Link's elven eyesight caught a light far down the hallway.

"C'mon! He went this way!" Link shouted, and he took off down the left hallway with the sorcerers at his heels.

They rounded another corner and came to another fork. They were gaining on Dampé and didn't have trouble seeing the light of his lantern going down the right hallway. Even the sorcerers, with their human eyesight, could see it. The trio sprinted down the hallway.

They eventually ran into a ledge, and climbing up to the next level lost them precious seconds as Dampé continued in his flight through the catacombs. The group followed as fast as they could, with Link still in front, down a really dark hallway. The only light was the faint light of Dampé's lantern.

Link's keen eyesight in the darkness caught sight of something neither of the sorcerers could see. He pointed down the hallway and slowed his running speed.

"Up ahead!" he shouted. "A Redead! Gordon, out in front--!"

"Way ahead of ya!" the sorcerer shouted back, and he sprinted ahead. They were close enough by now that Gordon could see the outline of a figure. Sure enough, it was a Redead, leaning against the wall, waiting for them to run by. Gordon waved a hand at it.

"**Blam Blazer!**" A bluish white beam shot at the monster and blew it to pieces. Link shot ahead again and they continued down the hall, all the while catching up to Dampé.

They suddenly ended up in a large room brightly lit with torches. It was a long room with pillars lining each wall. And it didn't take them long to realize that they were not alone in the room. As they ran toward the two rows of pillars, they could see that next to each pillar was a Redead. Link fell back and let the sorcerers run in front. 

"Gordon, take the left!" Lydia shouted.

Lydia ran along the right side toward the right row of pillars, and Gordon ran toward the left side. As they neared the pillars, complete with an army of Redeads, the sorcerers held their hands to their sides and shouted together.

"**Rah Tilt!!**"

A long beam of pure white magic, about as big around as a fairly thick tree, appeared in each of their hands. They both grabbed onto their respective spells and held them like humongous swords. Lydia held her Rah Tilt "sword" out to her right side, and Gordon held his to the left. They ran between the rows of pillars, holding the spells in place. As they ran past the Redeads, the creatures were destroyed one by one as they were hit by the extended spells. The sorcerers didn't even have to swing their modified Rah Tilts to attack the zombies. Holding them out to the side as they ran by proved to be very effective – not even one of the Redeads could make a move before they were sliced in half. 

Finally, they ran out of the other side of the pillar path and dispelled the Rah Tilt spells. The room ended with a small hallway, and the group didn't hesitate to run in. Though they hadn't slowed down at all, even to fight off the monsters, Dampé was nowhere in sight. Not even Link could see him anywhere. Their lungs were on fire and their legs ached horribly.

"Where _is_ that old fogey??" she huffed loudly. "For putting me through this, I'll kill him!"

"But he's already dead!" Gordon shouted back, still fighting for breath.

"I'll kill him _again_ if I have to!"

To the trio's despair – and Lydia's extreme frustration – the hallway ended in a path that split in _three_ directions. There was no light from Dampé's lantern to give them a hint, either. They skidded to a stop and glanced quickly down the three paths and tried to make a quick decision.

Lydia snarled. "Let's have a little competition, friend Link." She repeated Dampé's words with a highly sarcastic tone. "It's no competition if he intentionally goes _too damn fast_!! We should've flown like _I_ wanted to!"

Link perked his ears, trying to hear any sounds that may tell them where to go, but before he could decide, Lydia shouted out.

"Well," she said, "my woman's intuition says he went _this _way!" And she took off down the center path.

The boys grunted and followed. Link waved a fist at her. "Woman's intuition is the worst thing we could possibly depend on!" he shouted.

"It's better than what those ears of yours will do for us!" she shouted back defiantly. "Ghosts make no sounds, remember?"

"Oh, would you two stop it!" Gordon shouted. "Argue about it later! We have to find that old guy or we don't get a Hookshot, you know!"

Before the sorceress could snap back, they ran into yet another room. It was circular in shape and the path curved along the outside edges of the room. In the center of the room was what _looked_ like a bottomless pit. The path that curved around the room led up to a ledge. There was a large metal door in the wall on this ledge. And making his way through the door was the ghost of Dampé.

Lydia smiled over at Link. "See?" she said triumphantly. "Woman's intuition." 

He shrugged his shoulders but didn't stop. "Whatever," he said. Then he started running up the path. "Come on, we can't fall behind again!"

"You go ahead and take the long way – I'm tired of running! **Ray Wing!**" She jumped off the path and flew over the pit up to the ledge. Gordon groaned and followed.

When Link was about halfway up the path, the sorcerers landed on the ledge and dashed through the door. Within seconds after they had gone through, the top of the metal door's frame started to move. Ever so slowly, it started to lower a stone slab over the entrance way.

"Move it, Hero!" Lydia shouted down the room. "The door's closing!" 

Link had already greatly increased his speed with one last burst of energy. The stone slab continued to close as Link neared the ledge. With a flying leap, he jumped over the length of the ledge and slid under the slab on his back. It shut completely just after his head was in. 

The sorcerers let go a sigh of relief as Link sat up. All three of them breathed heavily, trying to catch their breath. They were in a dead-end room, and Dampé was gone. They were alone in this room, all feeling like they were about to die of exhaustion.

Lydia gasped loudly and looked at Link. "That was really close – don't do that again. That door could've squished you."

Link shrugged. "I'm better than that," he said with a smile.

The sorceress shook her head and went back to catching her breath. Link and Gordon both sat on the ground, horribly tired. Lydia stood with her hands on her knees. She happened to glance over at the stone door again, and immediately started laughing. The two boys looked at her like she had gone nuts, even more so than she already was.

"Um, Link?" Lydia asked through a smile. "Aren't you missing something?" She laughed again and pointed toward the floor under the stone slab.

Link looked over where she was pointing and saw a blue piece of material on the floor. The tip of his hat was caught under the stone. He put his hand on the top of his head and only felt hair.

"Aw, man," he groaned. He crawled over to the door and started to tug on the hat.

Lydia and Gordon looked around the room they were stuck in. It was a square room with a low ceiling, and platform in the center. The only source of light, two torches, burned on the platform. There was a strange looking blue block in the back of the room that stood about six feet high and looked very out of place. What bothered them so much was the fact that there was no other way out of this room except for the door they had just gone through, and it was sealed off.

"Well, that's great," Lydia groaned. "The old guy led us into a trap."

"I'm sure there's a way out," Gordon replied.

"Of course. If there's no obvious way, you make your own way. Link, come over here." 

Link stood on his feet and gave his hat a good tug. It came free suddenly, and Link stumbled backward, barely managing to keep his balance. He quickly gathered up his long braid, put his hat back on, and joined the sorcerers near the platform of the room.

"Stand back now," Lydia said coolly. She placed a hand in front of her, toward the stone door. "**Bephis**—"

"_Booga Booga! Bleeehhh!!_"

Lydia screamed and ran away swinging her arms, slamming both boys down to the ground in her panic. Dampé's familiar shrill laugh echoed through the whole room. Lydia stopped dead in her tracks and hunched her shoulders up, growling loudly. The boys laughed from their places on the floor. 

"You nasty old guy!" Lydia snarled. She whirled around and saw Dampé floating where she had just been, complete with the toothless smile. "That race was no fair! You went too fast and there were too many turns and it was dark and.....and there were _Redeads_!"

Dampé ignored her and turned to Link. "Well done. I knew you'd be able to accomplish my little task."

"And now how about your end of the bargain?" Gordon asked.

Dampé soundlessly snapped his fingers. Behind him, up on the platform, a treasure chest appeared. The old man smiled again. "Thank you for visiting me again, friend Link."

Link stood, brushed himself off, and said, "I'll visit again once this whole mess we're going through is over."

Dampé chuckled. "Then I'll depart for now. They've got me haunting a family in Kakariko, and I've fallen behind with that. Oh yes, and be careful on your way back." He dissipated into a white mist and disappeared. His shrill, mischievous laughed echoed through the room and finally quieted. 

Lydia's eyes darted all around the room. She waited for Dampé to jump out at her again. In the meantime, Link climbed onto the platform and opened the chest the ghost had left behind. He reached in and pulled out a really strange-looking mechanism. Link smiled and showed it to Gordon.

"This is it," he said.

Gordon took it from him and looked it over. It had a handle at one end and a pointy thing at the other end. He looked totally perplexed. 

"How strange looking," the sorcerer said. "What does this weird thing do?"

"I'll show you later," Link replied. "It won't do anything useful in here."

Lydia, finally satisfied that Dampé was really gone this time, turned to face the boys. She saw the Hookshot and made a weird face. The thing looked too weird to her. She had no idea what that thing could do, but her first concern was getting out.

"'Be careful on your way out' indeed," she scoffed loudly. "Even if we _do_ blast through this stone door, there's that matter of finding our way back through the catacombs."

Link spotted the blue block in the back of the room. He walked over to it and ran his fingers along the grooves of the strange design on it.

"There were so many turns," Lydia continued, "and we were going so fast to keep up with that old fool. It'll take us _days_ to find our way out."

Gordon noticed Link had wandered away and glanced around the room. He saw him studying the strange blue block in the back wall. Lydia noticed it, too.

"Yeah," she called, "I saw that weird thing when we came in." She jogged to the back wall and stood next to Link. "What do you think it is?"

Gordon appeared next to his sister. "What's that strange design on it?"

Link stepped back. "Isn't this the design we saw on the Door of Time?"

As soon as Link said it, the sorcerers recognized the mark. It was in deed the carving on the Door of Time, the huge stone door in the temple that protected the Master Sword.

"Okay," Lydia said quietly, "...we know what this mark is, but....well, not to sound rude or anything...but...._so what_?"

Link stepped back and reached into his tunic. He pulled out the Ocarina of Time and raised it to play. Sad notes flowed from it and filled the room. The sorcerers remembered this song as the Song of Time. Gordon and Link both felt their Triforce pieces flicker with power as the song was played.

As soon as Link finished the song, the blue block was surrounded by a blue light that extended up to the ceiling. Everyone stepped back as the blue column of light glowed brightly. The column grew smaller and smaller, and with it, the huge blue block dissolved and disappeared. Behind it, in the wall, was a passage and a flight of stairs.

Gordon gave the Hylian a pat on the back. "You're very clever."

"I've just learned to try _everything_," Link replied.

Lydia stepped forward and gazed up the stairs. "So," she said, "where do you think this goes? To more catacombs?"

Link walked ahead and the sorcerers followed closely. "There's only one way to find out," he said as they began the climb. 

As they neared the top of the stairs, they began to hear strange music. The sorcerers thought it was the weirdest thing they'd ever heard, but Link recognized the music.

"That's...I think that's the tune the windmill guy always plays....," he said.

"Windmill guy?" Lydia asked.

"Yeah, the windmill in the east side of Kakariko. A guy lives in there and is always playing this tune."

When they reached the top of the stairs, they stood in a doorway. Down below them, a large wooden column was turning, and off to the side, a strange looking man was turning the crank on a box. The box played the strange music they were hearing.

"I knew it," Link said with a smile. "This is the inside of the windmill."

Lydia looked around. "So, we're back in Kakariko?"

"I guess so."

Gordon smiled. "Well, that's convenient," he said. "Dampé must have known Link would figure that blue block out."

The sorceress looked at him. "But...But we didn't tell the old guy about the Temple of Time or anything. How could he know?"

Link's eyes narrowed. "Maybe my old friend knows more about my travels than he's ever let on."

"Could he have been spying on you, even when we were all children?"

The Hylian shrugged his shoulders. "Not sure. It sure would be easy as a ghost to get around. I guess he's just been keeping up with what I was doing. He's just been playing dumb all this time. When I was younger, before you two came, I got two Spiritual Stones by myself. When I visited Dampé, I told him all about it."

"He knows more than he lets on," Gordon added, "that's for sure."

Lydia sneered. "Sneaky old coot."

Link smiled. "Well, it doesn't really matter, anyway. Let's get going."

The trio jumped down and landed on the spinning column. They stood on it until they reached the wooden door. Gordon opened it and sunshine rushed in. Outside was Kakariko Village. 

Link stepped out and pulled out his Hookshot. Lydia's face brightened and she tugged on Link's tunic like a child. 

"Hey, show us what that thing does!" she said eagerly.

Link climbed up on the fence held the Hookshot toward the wooden roof of the closest house. The pointy end of the Hookshot suddenly shot out, pulling a long chain with it. The point dug into the wooden roof and the chain contracted quickly, pulling Link with it. He flew off the fence and sailed along the chain, landing hard on the roof. He turned and waved to the sorcerers.

Lydia turned to Gordon and smiled. "Well, that's certainly....different."

"Yeah," Gordon replied, "but what a cool thing it is!"

They climbed down the stairs and started to make their way toward the house where Link was. Link sat down on the edge of the roof and let his legs dangle off the side. 

"Pretty neat, huh?" he called.

"That _is_ a pretty cool trinket," Lydia replied. "Can I try it sometime?"

Link scoffed playfully. "You'll just get yourself stuck in a tree or something."

"Oh, _sure_! Like _you're_ the one to talk."

The Hylian laughed. "I know! I know! I'm just kidding!"

Gordon laughed, too. "Well, we should get going back to the lake. We have our way into the temple now."

"We'll go in the morning," Lydia said. "The sun's about to set."

"I guess so. It'd be smart to start a new temple when we're fresh and rested."

The sorcerers started to walk toward their house, which was right next door to the house Link was sitting on. Lydia looked up at him as she passed under him. "Good luck getting down," she said with a laugh.

"Yeah, thanks," Link replied sarcastically.

He stood and walked to the side of the house, then aimed the Hookshot at the roof of their house. He let it go and flew right over the sorcerer's heads. He put the Hookshot away once he was safely on their roof. As the sorcerers neared the door, Link jumped down in front of them. He opened the door and waved Lydia in.

"Ladies first," he said.

Lydia rolled her eyes as she passed. "You show off," she said with a sarcastic smile.

"What can I say? New toys are fun." Link followed the sorcerers inside and closed the door behind him. 

***

All night, Lydia slept restlessly. She kept waking up and glancing around her, just waiting for Dampé to pop out from under the bed or something. She could just hear the old man's shrill laugh and could almost see his toothless smile. She pulled the blankets up to her ears and sighed loudly. 

_Hmph... I dunno if I'll ever have a good night's sleep again._

She fell asleep quickly, only to have another nightmare. Not about Dampé, however. Though she wished it _had_ been a nightmare of the old ghost. Instead, a dark force surrounded her and tried pulling her in several directions. She lost control of her body. She started casting various spells against her will. At one point in the dream, she thought she saw Link and Gordon in the distance. ****

As much as she fought it, the dark force made her cast a wind spell to blow her brother out of the way. And then she advanced on Link. She watched herself yank her longsword from the nothingness. The sorceress tried with all her might to resist, but her arms kept slashing at the Hylian. He pulled his own sword out from behind his back. Lydia watched as he only defended himself – he refused to fight back – he refused to hurt her.****

What came next was the worst part. The darkness forced her to start chanting a spell. She resisted the darkness with so much willpower that tears began to fall from the corners of her eyes, but it was still too strong. She watched in horror as she threw the spell, hitting Link in the head. He was dead before he hit the ground. The darkness released the sorceress suddenly, and she screamed at the top of her voice in terror and anger.

The ground suddenly vanished from underneath her feet and she fell even further into the abyss of this horrible place. Then she heard the voice again.

_Allies will fall, evil will rise. Even when all seems lost, the last resort will fail. Only the power of all will defeat the evil. Ultimate power will restore the land._

Lydia awoke screaming Link's name. She sat straight up in bed and started shivering violently. Her sheets were soaked with sweat. In her confusion and panic, she continued to call for Link. Within seconds, she felt strong hands on her shoulders. Startled, she looked to the side to find Link sitting on her bed next to her, shaking her gently.

"Hey, hey," he coaxed. "I'm right here. What's wrong?" 

After an moment of disbelief, the sorceress hugged Link tightly and began to sob violently. Link rubbed her back, ignoring the tears that were soaking into his nightshirt.

"It's okay now...," he kept repeating quietly. "Sshh..."

Gordon appeared and sat down next to them on the bed. His sleepy face was wrinkled with worry. "What's wrong with her?"

The Hylian looked up at him as Lydia continued crying on his shoulder. "I think she had a really bad nightmare."

"From the looks of it," Gordon replied as he patted his sister's shoulder, "it was terrible!"

Lydia's sobbing quieted slightly and she began to tremble. Link rocked back and forth gently in an effort to calm her down. He figured he had better not ask her about whatever nightmare she had just had until later. 

Gordon squeezed Lydia's hand and stood up. He opened his mouth to speak, but Link answered his unasked question.

"She'll be all right," he said quietly. "You can go back to bed."

"Are you sure?"

Link nodded. "I'll stay with her until she falls asleep. Go ahead."

Reluctantly, Gordon nodded and trailed back to his bed. He listened to Lydia's quiet crying as he pulled the sheets up to his head.

_She's had weird dreams before, but nothing this bad. What could she have seen in her sleep that would scare her so badly?_

With this worried thought rooted in his head, he drifted off to sleep again.

Eventually, Lydia's crying quieted even more and eventually stopped as Link held her. After a few moments, her trembling stopped as well. Link glanced at her face, and saw that she had cried herself back to sleep, still clinging tightly to his shirt. He couldn't help but think it was kinda cute.

He held onto her for a few minutes longer until she was completely asleep. He gently laid her down on her pillow, carefully pulled his nightshirt out of her clenched fists, and pulled her sheets up. In her sleep, she reached for the sheets and clung to them for security.

_Poor thing_....

He quietly slipped back into his bed and rolled over. A million and one thoughts ran through his head. It took him some time to get drowsy again. Even after he had started to drift off, his main thought stuck. _Lydia tends to have dreams about what will come. At least, that's what seems to be happening. What horrible thing is coming? What could have possibly terrified her like that?_

As he fell asleep, one more thought nagged at him.

_Sometimes, I regret bringing her here. I regret having to put her through all this._


	16. Chapter 16

**_Worlds Apart  
By Miss Lydia_**

**Chapter 16**

"Gordon, wake up!"

Gordon was shaken in his sleep and mumbled incoherent nonsense. "Mmph...It's Saturday...I don't hafta go to school...," He rolled over and stuffed his face into his pillow.

Link scowled. He grabbed Gordon's shoulder and shook him again. "Wake up! It's important!"

The sorcerer finally opened his eyes and squinted in the morning sunlight. Link was standing over him, still in his wrinkled nightshirt.

"What's going on?" Gordon asked sleepily. "It's barely dawn."

"Gordon," Link said, tugging nervously on his braid. "We have to go. Lydia's gone."

Gordon sat upright quickly and looked across the room. His sister's bed was empty. The sheets were bunched up at the foot of the bed and her pajamas were on the floor.

Worry set in. Gordon jumped out of bed and pulled his clothes on. "Where could she have gone?" he wondered out loud.

"I don't know," Link replied as he pulled on his green tunic. "But after last night, I don't think we should just wait for her to come back."

"This isn't like her at all," Gordon fought with his left shoe and tied it quickly.

Link strapped on the Master Sword's sheath. "It must have been that dream she had, whatever it was."

"It must have been horrible. I've never seen her that panicked in my whole life. Did she say anything about it to you?"

"No, she fell asleep on my shoulder before she could even speak."

Gordon stood and opened the door. "C'mon, we have to find her fast!"

Link grabbed his shield and they ran outside. Link pulled out his Ocarina and charged toward Hyrule Field.

"I'll search the ground. You search by air."

Gordon nodded. "**Ray Wing!**" He disappeared over the Kakariko walls and flew south.

Link sprinted down the steps to the field, playing Epona's Song as he ran. The horse appeared almost immediately. Link was in the saddle in a second and Epona raced down the field. He skimmed the horizon from where he was, but didn't see anything. 

As he rode past the broken drawbridge to the market, he yanked Epona to a stop. She reared up, then pawed at the ground anxiously. Link gazed into the dark market. He could feel the aura of the Redeads, even from the field.

_She wouldn't be crazy enough to go in there.....would she? I suppose we should look everywhere...._

The very thought of Lydia going to Ganon's Tower alone sent a shiver up his spine. Reluctantly, Link slowly climbed down and walked toward the broken drawbridge. He waded through the moat and started in toward the Market. But Gordon's voice stopped him.

"I found her!"

Link whirled around as Gordon touched down beside Epona, who nickered quietly and nudged her nose into Gordon's arm.

"You did? Where is she?"

"At the crater!"

Link's eyes narrowed and he leaped back over the drawbridge. "Death Mountain Crater? What could she want at _that_ place?" He climbed back up on Epona and turned her back toward Kakariko.

Gordon jumped in front of the horse. "No, no, not Death Mountain Crater. She's at her Dragon Slave crater."

This only confused Link more. "That's even _more_ strange. What's she doing _there_?"

"Nothing, literally. She's just _sitting_ there."

Link looked up and gazed south. Lydia's old Dragon Slave crater was too far to see from here, but it covered most of southern Hyrule Field. "It seems she's still upset. Let's go talk to her. _Hiyaa!_" He gave Epona a sharp crack of the whip. The horse sprinted away from the castle, with Gordon flying alongside.

***

_It's so quiet here_, Lydia thought. _So peaceful. And to think I may be a danger to this peace..._

Lydia had quietly left the house as soon as she woke up. She had to get away from there. She had to be by herself for a while. She's wasn't sure why, but her wandering eventually landed her in her old crater from seven years before. It was partially eroded, and grass was finally beginning to grow inside it, but it was still a pretty big eyesore on Hyrule's overall beauty.

The sorceress was sitting right in the center, thinking to herself. Her pearl-handled longsword was stuck into the dirt next to her. 

"Ugh. My head hurts. I've never thought so hard in my whole life." She sighed loudly and hugged her knees. "But last night's dream meant something, and I need to be careful. No matter what the boys say, I won't give in. They have to be weary of me and my magic. Who knows what kind of damage I could do... ....Maybe it would be best if I stopped using my magic completely."

She heard a noise off in the distance, coming from the west. Glancing up, she saw the figure of a woman, standing at the edge of the crater. The woman, at the sight of the sorceress, starting running toward the center of the crater.

Lydia rested her head on her arms. "Oh, come _on_. Why _now_?" she moaned out loud. 

The woman skidded to a stop a short distance from Lydia. It was the Gerudo woman again. She slid her scimitar from her belt and pointed it at the sorceress.

"_There_ you are, witch girl!" Nabooru called. "Prepare to die!"

Lydia looked up at Nabooru with such dull eyes that the Gerudo was almost shocked.

"Just _go_ away, all right?" Lydia moaned loudly. "I'll play with you later. I don't feel like it right now."

Nabooru hesitated, not really sure what to do. This sorceress was supposed to get mad and yell, and that just wasn't happening. She backed off slightly, but Ganondorf's orders prevailed, and she advanced again.

"My apologies," she said sarcastically, "but I've been ordered to get the Triforce piece, and you are in the way. I'll destroy whatever is in my way."

Lydia groaned. "Same old line again.... I _told_ you to go away."

"Stand and fight me, sorceress! Did you not say that you wanted to fight me? I'll go easy on you so you die slowly, of course. That is, unless you're—"

"**Explosion Array.**"

Nabooru disappeared in a column of dust and debris. When the dirt settled again, the Gerudo was sprawled on her back, quite a distance from the center of the crater. Lydia sighed and hid her face in her arms again.

"I thought _I_ was annoying."

No sooner had everything become quiet and peaceful again, the sorceress could hear hoofbeats in the distance, growing louder with each passing second.

"Here they come...," Lydia mumbled quietly. She sighed sadly. "This is gonna be difficult." 

"Hey, what was that explosion?" Gordon asked out loud.

"It sounded like one of Lydia's spells."

"But she was alone.... See? You can see her now!"

Link stopped Epona at the edge of the crater. He could see the sorceress sitting in the very center. Not very far from her was the Gerudo woman, lying on her back.

Gordon saw her, too. "At least, she was alone when I saw her."

The Hylian shook his head with pity for the Gerudo. "Wow. She sure picked a bad time to try to kill her again. Doesn't she know it's a _bad_ idea to bother Lyd when she's upset?"

Link climbed down from his horse. Epona nickered and nudged his side. He reached up and rubbed her nose. Gordon landed next to them and stared into the crater. 

"Should we go talk to her?"

Link looked down at the sorceress, who didn't even seem to notice they were there. "Of course. I don't think she'll blast us like Nabooru. Besides, I think at a time like this, she _needs_ to talk to someone."

Without further words, the two boys slid down the steep edges of the crater, until it leveled-off enough that they could walk. Link moved forward and walked in front of Gordon. As they got closer, Gordon held back a little, and eventually stopped. He knew that if even if his sister didn't feel like talking, the one person that could get her to talk would be Link.

Link stopped and looked over his shoulder at the sorcerer. Gordon nodded and waved him on. "I'll be right behind you," he said quietly.

Link nodded back and continued. He stepped on the ground loudly, so Lydia would know he was there. She was easily startled, and the last thing he wanted to do was startle her. When he was within ten feet of her, she looked up at him with strangely serious eyes. 

"Get back," she said sharply.

Link stopped dead in his tracks and stared at her.

"Just....," she continued, more quietly, "stay away from me." A sob caught in her throat.

The Hylian stepped back with hurt feelings. "O-Okay...Was it something I did?"

To his surprise, Lydia began to cry again. She shook her head. "No, it's not you at all. Or Gordon. It's all me."

Link stepped forward again. "It's about what happened last night, isn't it?" By this time, Gordon was walking just behind him.

Lydia nodded slowly. 

"....Are you ready to tell us about it?"

Tears flowed freely from Lydia's eyes, but she kept enough composure to tell the boys about the horrible dream. They looked more and more worried as she spoke. The sorceress had to pause when she reached the part about attacking Link, but she managed to get it out.

When she finished the story, she wiped her tears away angrily, but new ones just replaced them. She looked up at Link, whose eyes were overflowing with pity. "I..," she started to say, "I think you should just...keep clear of me. And I am going to stop using my magic before I hurt someone." She sobbed loudly. "I don't want to hurt anyone!"

Link stepped closer, and Lydia snapped at him.

"I said stay back, damn you! Do you wanna get killed?" She started sobbing again.

Completely defiant, Link only stepped even closer.

"You both need to keep clear of me.....," the sorceress muttered. "I care about you both too much, and I may end up hurting you." 

Gordon also turned defiant. He went as far as to sit down on the ground next to the sorceress. "We care about you, too. That's why we won't stay away."

Standing over them, Link smiled. "After all we've been through together? No way."

"But...," Lydia stuttered, still crying, "I don't want to hurt you.... Link...I don't want you to die....and certainly not by my hands."

Link sat down on her other side. "Hey...do you really intend to kill me?"

Lydia gave him a shocked look, and shook her head so hard that she whipped her hair around. "No, no, no, no!"

"Then you won't." He smiled and put his arm around her shoulders. "And, no, I _won't_ stay back. Don't worry, we'll work through everything."

Gordon hugged his sister, as she cried loudly. She smiled and wiped more tears away.

"Okay," she said, half crying, half laughing, "but don't say I didn't warn you." She hugged the two boys happily. "Where would I be without you two?"

Gordon laughed. "You'd be stuck at home, reading books all day."

"I...I'm still going to ease off on the magic."

"No, you shouldn't do that," Link said. "We need your help. All you have to do is be careful."

Lydia sighed and looked at the Hylian. "The dream meant something. What bothered me most was..." Tears started to fall again. "....was the fact that I was completely helpless. I watched myself hurt Gordon. I watched myself attack you...and, even though I tried to stop, I ….killed you…"

"It was just a dream," Gordon said. "Maybe it meant something. Then again, maybe it didn't. There's always the chance that you ate something bad yesterday. But, even if it _does_ mean something, Link and I will stick by you."

Lydia smiled again. "Thanks guys. That means a lot." 

It was quiet for several moments. Link heard the Gerudo woman moan in pain. He snickered quietly. 

"I guess _she_ learned a lesson today," he said to the sorceress.

"Hey, I warned her," Lydia replied, her voice once again ringing with the old confidence, "but _nooooo_, she had to annoy me. But I went easy on her. After all, she's under Ganondorf's influence. She'll be fine."

Right on cue, Nabooru stirred and sat up. She saw the trio and frantically crawled around, digging through the dirt.

Feeling confident again, Lydia laughed and called to the Gerudo. "Hey!" she shouted. The Gerudo looked up at her. "It's over there!" The sorceress pointed to the hilt of the scimitar, sticking up out of the dirt on the other side of the crater.

"Uh... Of course!" Nabooru called back, then she jumped up and sprinted toward her sword. She yanked it out of the dirt and started running back. She stopped a few feet of the trio, who were finally standing up. 

"Now then!" the Gerudo said. "Prepare to die!"

Lydia laughed and rubbed the back of her head. "You know, you're not really cut out for the killing business."

Nabooru scoffed and raised the sword. "Don't make fun of me, witch! I'll do whatever my master commands me to do! Do...do you think this is some kind of joke?" 

"I'm one of the most unobservant people in the world," the sorceress continued. "And even _I_ can tell that you don't really want to do this. You seem like a more decent person than that. Even now, you seem more reluctant to kill me than you did the first time we met."

Gordon nodded. "She's right. You don't seem like you really want to work for Ganondorf."

Nabooru wavered, and gripped her scimitar with both hands. "I'll always serve my king. I will always be loyal to him." The hint of uncertainty in her voice was painfully obvious.

"Is that really true?" Link asked. "That's a lie, isn't it?"

"I...I..." the Gerudo stuttered. 

Lydia smiled. "It _isn't_ true. You don't really want to do this. You're not evil, are you?"

Nabooru slowly lowered her scimitar. Then she shook her head. 

"Mm-hmm. I thought not." Lydia walked forward until she stood right in front of the Gerudo. She reached up and placed a hand on her shoulder. "So, come on. Why don't you fight on _our_ side? Ganon's power is growing, and we could use more help. I like your spirit, and you have a good heart."

Several feet away, Gordon leaned up to Link's ear. "It looks like she's getting through to her."

Link nodded and kept watching.

Nabooru looked ready to cry. "He...Ganondorf....has some kind of hold over me. I can't help but follow his orders. I...I have to get the Triforce of Courage for him...."

Lydia grabbed both of the Gerudo's shoulders and shook her hard. "_No_ you _don't_! Don't let him control you like that!"

The Gerudo looked at her, and a single tear fell. "Please....help me... I've been like this for years…"

The sorceress smiled again. "I'll do everything I can. I promise. You shouldn't be on the side of evil. You don't belong there."

Nabooru smiled. "You are right, sorceress. .....Thank you... I..I don't know what's wrong with me." 

"_Ganondorf's_ wrong with you. I promise that the three of us will do everything we can to help you. _And_, Ganondorf'll be defeated in the process."

The Gerudo slid her scimitar into her belt. "And in return, I will fight by your side, aiding you in any way I can. I will no longer follow the Evil King's orders." Nabooru raised one of her arms, which had several ribbons tied around it. She untied a bright pink colored ribbon and held it out to Lydia.

"I'm afraid I do not have much, but please accept this...as my thanks."

Lydia smiled and took the ribbon from her. "You've picked the right team to play with."

Nabooru smiled. "I...I'm sorry I...tried to kill you...,"

The sorceress laughed and slapped the Gerudo's back. "Hah! Forget it! You're okay now, and that's what counts." 

Just after the sorceress spoke, the sky rumbled like thunder and turned dark. Everyone struggled to keep their balance as the ground began to shake. Through the thunder, they heard the voice of Ganondorf himself.

"_You will not get away from me so easily, disobedient minion!_"

A bolt of black lightning shot down and struck Nabooru. Lydia was blown down by the energy. She lifted her face off the ground and looked at Nabooru. She was on the ground, smoke rising from her body. 

"Nabooru!" Lydia jumped up and moved forward. At the same time, Nabooru also stood up, but kept her eyes to the ground.

"Oh my God," Lydia breathed. "Are you all right?" 

Nabooru looked up at her. Her eyes glowed bright red and her face turned savage. Lydia didn't even get a chance to move before Nabooru had her arm up. She swung down and struck the sorceress in the jaw, sending her to the ground. Lydia recovered quickly and watched as Nabooru drew her scimitar with incredible speed and raised it into the air.

"_Die, sorceress!!_" Then she brought the sword down. Instinctively, Lydia raised her arms in an attempt to block the attack. 

There was a sound of metal crashing against metal. The sword hit Lydia was expecting never came. She lowered her arms slowly. Link was standing over her, holding Nabooru's scimitar at bay with the Master Sword. 

"Back off!" he shouted. 

With unnatural strength – an effect of Ganondorf's magic – Nabooru used her sword and forced Link out of the way, badly cutting his sword arm. The Gerudo then charged at Lydia again, striking Gordon with a fist as she ran past.

Lydia, trying hard to hold back panic, scrambled to her feet and jumped out of the way, just as the blade of Nabooru's sword struck the dirt. She recovered quickly and chased after the sorceress, swinging her sword madly. Lydia bolted toward her sword, and yanked it out of the dirt as she ran by. She whipped it around and held it up just in time to meet Nabooru's scimitar. However, her lack of skill with the weapon proved costly.

Nabooru struck down on Lydia's sword again and again as the sorceress was standing under it, not knowing what to do. Everything was happening so fast. She couldn't think quickly enough to keep up. She was acting completely on adrenilin. 

With an unnaturally strong thrust of the sword, the Gerudo forced Lydia to the ground, slashing her shoulder open in the process. Her sword went flying and landed in the dirt. Ignoring her wound, she scrambled to her feet and tried to dive out of the way, just as Nabooru swung her scimitar at the ground. It was so close that Lydia felt a tug on her hair and the wind of the swing on her back. The Gerudo swung again. The sorceress barely dodged the swipe, and the momentum of the quick move caused her to lose her balance and hit the ground hard. Lydia curled up and clutched her shoulder in pain. She looked up in time to see Nabooru raise the scimitar for the fatal blow.

And once again, it never hit. Metal clashed on metal, and Lydia found Link standing over her again, holding Nabooru back with his sword. Blood flowed freely from the wound on his arm, but he seemed to be ignoring it completely. 

Gordon appeared again out of nowhere, having recovered quickly from that sucker punch. He ran up behind Nabooru, who was trying to cut through Link again to get to the sorceress.

"**Laphas Seed!**"

A ring of white magic slid down quickly around Nabooru, then pinned her arms at her sides like ropes. She kept a firm grip on her scimitar, even though she could no longer swing it. 

Lydia stood carefully, then stepped forward. "Nabooru...you....you really _are_ controlled by Ganondorf."

The Gerudo's red eyes flared, and with another feat of strength, broke through Gordon's spell. The ring of magic shattered, and she once again lunged at the sorceress. She only ran a few steps before Link tackled her to the ground. He held her down with his knee and twisted her arms behind her back. Underneath him, Nabooru kicked and squirmed around, trying to get away.

Link looked up at the sorcerers frantically. "Is there anything either of you can do for her?"

Lydia and Gordon looked at each other. Neither of them knew what to do, and their eyes showed it. Before either of them could say anything, they suddenly heard Link cry out.

Nabooru had broken out of Link's grasp and was standing again, and she was holding him off the ground, across her shoulders. She grabbed a hold of his wrists and flipped him over her head. The sorcerers dove out of the way as the Hylian landed hard where they had been standing. 

_All right, that's it_. Lydia ran forward with tears in her eyes. _I really don't want to do this, Nabooru! Forgive me!_

"**Dust Chip!**"

Dozens of tiny ice arrows blasted in toward the Gerudo, striking her many times, leaving small cuts behind. Nabooru stopped dead in her tracks and winced at the pain. That spell was designed to weaken an enemy's will to fight, but it was hard to tell whether or not it had done its job. The Gerudo still wore an expression of hatred. 

Nabooru shot Lydia a look that sent shivers down her spine. It was a look that said _"Count your blessings. You'll be dead soon."_ The Gerudo turned and took off toward the western horizon with her flight speed, and disappeared. Above them, the sky slowly cleared and turned blue again.

Link sat up, and from the sudden sting of pain, finally paid attention to the wound on his arm. Gordon stared at the horizon where Nabooru had disappeared. Lydia sat down in the dirt next to Link. She opened her hand, and found Nabooru's pink ribbon still in her palm. She clenched her fist around it so hard that her hand trembled. 

"Yet another victim of Ganondorf," she said through clenched teeth. She took Link's arm and began to heal his wound. "The woman who tried to kill me wasn't Nabooru. Nabooru is an innocent, decent person. Ganondorf has her under some spell. The first time she attacked us, the spell was going strong. But it started to decay over time. When she came to us this time, the spell had decayed almost completely." She opened her free hand and looked at the pink ribbon again. "When she gave me this, she was herself again...."

Gordon knelt down and started to heal Lydia's shoulder as she contined to work on Link's arm. 

"I promised that I would help her," she continued. "And I'll keep that promise."

Link looked at her with admiration, as did her brother. "You know," Link said. "you may be crazy, and eccentric, and hyperactive....but you have a kind heart. I've seen a change in you since we first met."

Lydia shook her head. "Nah. I don't change. Rock hard."

Gordon looked north, toward Ganon's Tower. "He's just doing more and more to Hyrule. When will he be satisfied...?"

"He'll _know_ when he's satisfied," Lydia barked. "He'll know it when I shove my secret weapon up his—"

Gordon smiled at his sister and cut her off. "I'm happy to hear you talk like that again. All that crying wasn't like you at all."

Lydia waved a hand. "Whatever you say, kid." She finished with Link's arm and smiled at him. "Thanks. You seem to have saved my butt again. Are you all right?"

Link patted his healed arm. "Sure. No problem."

"Good." 

Gordon finished with his sister's shoulder and gave her an enthusiastic pat on the back. 

Lydia stood and started to walk to where her sword had fallen. Doing this finally gave the two boys a good look at her back. The sorceress heard Link make a weird noise, one of shock, and she whirled around. Link and her brother were both staring after her. Their faces wore expressions of shock and even a little fright.

"Wh..What are you guys looking at me like that for..?" she asked timidly.

Gordon slowly looked past her, where her sword was, then back at her. "Uh...," he began, but couldn't finish. Instead, he pointed past her. 

She turned back around. Her brother seemed to be pointing right to her sword, but then she saw exactly what he saw. A large pile of brown hair was sitting on the ground, several feet from her sword. She absently reached behind her neck and gathered her own hair, then pulled it in front. It no longer hung down almost to her waist. It was shreded up and only hung about three inches past her shoulders.

Too shocked to speak, she wandered over to the pile of hair and picked it up. It was hers, all right. Then it hit her what had happened. When Nabooru swung her sword and she had tried to dodge, she had felt a sharp tug on her hair as the sword whipped past her back. The sword had cut off her long hair.

Link looked at Gordon, and Gordon looked back. Everything had happened so fast when Nabooru attacked that neither of them had seen the Gerudo slice off most of Lydia's hair. Then fear set in as they watched Lydia slowly stand, still clutching her hair. They could only imagine what she would do now – she was probably really angry, and anger with her always meant destructive magic. 

"Hey, listen," Link called to her uncertainly, "it doesn't look as bad as you may think! It's just shorter...that's all! It actually looks pretty good that way! It just needs...a little trimming up...and it'll look great!" He glanced hurriedly down at the sorcerer. "...R-Right?"

Gordon slapped on a fake smile. "Of course!" he replied loudly.

Lydia suddenly tensed up and started snarling loudly, muttering various curses. Instinctively, Link jumped behind Gordon and Gordon threw up a defense barrier to prepare for whatever was coming. Lydia continued to tense, and fire magic began to swirl around her. 

But the anticipated explosion never came. The magic slowly disappeared and fell completely. Link slowly looked over Gordon's shoulder as he dropped the barrier.

Lydia was still standing where she had been. Her hands were balled into fists and she was still growling. Link cautiously stepped back in front and called to her.

"Are you all right now?"

The sorceress relaxed and turned around. After a moment, she smiled. She held the hair a little higher and looked at it. She threw it over her shoulder and laughed. "Ah, I needed a haircut anyway...," she said, her voice cracking. The boys could tell she didn't really mean it.

"Y'know," Link said, "it really doesn't look _that_ bad. It just looks like a sloppy haircut. A little trimming and fixing up here and there and it'll look fine."

Gordon nodded. "That's right. It just looks...different. But still good. You can even go home now and fix it up if you want."

Lydia sighed and shook her head. "No...there's something more important to do now."****

The sorceress turned and went to retrieve her sword, which was half buried in the dirt. She brushed the sand away and stuck the blade into the ground. She shook the sand off of Nabooru's pink ribbon, then tied it around the hilt of her pearl-handled longsword. It was a long ribbon, so two ends hung off the hilt and fluttered around in the wind. She heaved a loud sigh, then yanked the sword out of the ground and slid it into the long sheath that was still attached to her belt.

She shifted her gaze to the south. "I'll keep my promise, and to do that, we need to get moving." She raised a fist in the air cheerfully. "Come on, guys! To the Water Temple!"

The boys looked at each other, then raised their fists up, too. "_Yeah!_" Gordon grabbed Link's arm and took off toward south. Link looked up at Gordon.

"I can't believe she's just shrugging it off like that," he called.

Gordon shook his head and laughed. "Hah! I've known her too long – she can't hide it from me."

"Hide what?"

"She _seems_ like she's 'shrugging it of', but she's really pissed. It took her years to grow all that hair."

"Well, at least she didn't blast the rest of the field. Let's...just be nice to her until she gets over it."

"Yeah." 

Back on the ground, Lydia stood on her toes as if to fly away, but held back. She looked down and ran the pink ribbon through her fingers. 

"I'll keep my promise, Nabooru. Just hang in there for a while longer. **Ray Wing**!" 


	17. Chapter 17

  
Worlds Apart**  
Part II  
By Miss Lydia**

Chapter 17

The pure hearts of the three adventurers were full of new strive and determination.  Not only must they save Hyrule from its fate of destruction, but a true victim of the Evil King needed help as well.  They landed at Lake Hylia and didn't slow their pace.  Lydia walked up straight, her shredded up brown hair dangling behind her, just below her shoulders.  Nabooru's pink ribbon fluttered in the wind as it dangled from her sword's hilt.  

Just as determined, Link and Gordon followed closely.  Gordon's spiked flail was hooked to his belt, and he touched it with anticipation.  Link didn't slow as he slipped his blue tunic over his head, never taking his eyes away from their next goal.  

The three heroes of Hyrule were ready and waiting for their next challenge!

After the transfer into the Iron Boots, Link made his way down to the Water Temple, and after some magical preparation, the sorcerers followed.

"Okay, Hero," Lydia called as they reached the bottom, "do your stuff."

Link planted himself a short distance from the iron gate in the wall.  He reached behind his shield and pulled out Dampé's Hookshot.  Closing one eye, he aimed at the diamond above the door.

"Here goes nothing," he said, then let it go.

The hook shot forward, dragging the chain behind it.  Even in the water, the hook didn't slow in its path.  It hit the diamond dead on target, and the diamond gave.  It moved down a notch from its position, then slowly moved in closer to the wall.  With a loud creak, the rusty old iron gates shook and started to rise.

Lydia clapped Link on the shoulder, then swam forward toward the rising gates.  She was slightly overanxious and impatient now that she had seen Nabooru's true state.  All she could think about was moving forward in their quest and actually getting something accomplished for a change.

Link grabbed her ankle as she swam by.  "Hang on, now," he said.  "We should go in together.  Don't leave us behind."

Gordon grabbed her other ankle and pulled her down to the sand floor of the lake.  "He's right, you know."

Lydia crossed her arms.  "I know he's right.  He's always right."  Her eyes darkened and she scowled.  "I just...I just want to finish this.  I want to give Ganondorf what he's had coming to him for seven long years."

"Fine.  I agree with you."  Link waved a finger.  "But leaving us behind won't do you any good."  He started forward, brushing past her.  Gordon followed him closely.  Lydia shrugged and grabbed the back of Link's tunic as he walked by, letting him pull her along for the ride, too lazy to swim for herself.

Once they had passed under the metal gate, a wall appeared almost immediately.  It was only about six feet high, and the water ended at the top of the wall.  Link was tall enough to reach up and pull himself up and out of the water without taking off his Iron Boots.  Gordon swam up and climbed out.  Lydia sprung up off the floor and steadied herself on the wall with one knee.

The top of the wall was actually a dry platform that was the beginning of a long hallway.  There was light near the end.  Link started forward immediately toward the light.  The sorcerers hung back a little.  Lydia leaned against the wall of the hallway and wrung water out of what was left of her hair.  Ahead, Link stopped at the end of the hallway and gazed around the room beyond it.

"Well, I'm glad the temple is dry," Lydia said to her brother, who was twisting water out of his shirt.  "I thought we'd certainly be messing around with some water maze or something.  I don't really feel like coming out of this looking like a prune anyway."

At the end of the hall, Link turned around and cleared his throat very loudly, to get her attention.  When she glanced up at him, he used his thumb to point behind him, into the room ahead.

The sorcerers trotted ahead and glanced over Link's shoulder, into the lit room.  Gordon sighed loudly, and Lydia made an almost inaudible squeak.

The room was huge.  In fact, it was three levels of rooms, and the hallway the trio stood in was in the third story.  The whole room was full of water, all the way up to the dry floor where they were.

Lydia squatted down and put her hands behind her head.  "Oh, _man."_

Link waved ahead, into the room.  "Ma'am, your water maze."

"This _sucks."_

"You said it."

Gordon got down on his knees and peered down to the submerged lower levels.  "There are so many paths to take."  He jabbed his finger into the air, counting the rooms.  "....ten....'leven....twelve."

Link's head flopped back.  "_Twelve paths to take?" he said to the ceiling.  "For the love of Nayru....  Well, maybe we—"_

"NO, we are not splitting up again."  Lydia stood back up quickly.  "Especially not in _this temple.  The Fire Temple was easy.  One way or the other.  But look how many different ways to go there are here.  We could get lost.  And the best way to get lost is together."_

"Uh, I wasn't about to suggest that at all.  I was going to suggest that maybe we should take a look around before going too deep into this place."

Gordon crossed his arms and nodded.  "I see.  Get to know the place first."

Lydia gazed down into the deep water.  "Yeah, but still....  There are so many flippin' ways to go.  How do we know where to even start?"

A voice spoke up behind them.  "Perhaps I can be of assistance...?"

Startled, the group whirled around.  Link instinctively gripped the hilt of the Master Sword as a reaction to the sound.  Standing at the other end of the hallway, near the entrance, was Princess Ruto.  Her fins fluttered as she smiled at Link.

"Oh!" Gordon stepped forward.  "I thought you were at Zora's Fountain."

"Yeah!"  Lydia waved a finger at her.  "Why aren't you there?"

The Zora shrugged.  "I was...but I felt rather useless there.  Besides, I have information that I should have given to my sweet fiancé before I left before."

"Information?" 

"Yes.  Being the princess of the Zora race, I know the secrets this temple hides within the many paths and hallways."

Link leaned against the wall and smiled at her, silently asking her to go on.

Lydia was slightly more verbal than that.  "We could really use that now.  Out with it."

Ruto blinked at her.  "You don't have to be so..._forward...about it.  You sure are forward in just about everything."_

"You think _I'm forward about things?"  The sorceress chewed down the mischievous smile that threatened to spread across her face.  "What about you being forward about Long Ears over there?"_

Link appeared behind her.  "Okay, forget about that for now."  He tugged Lydia back by the collar of her shirt, then turned to the Zora.  "Could you please tell us what you know?"

Ruto suddenly got all dreamy-eyed and looked at Link with complete adoration.  "Of course.  I'll tell you whatever you want to know, dear fiancé."

Lydia rolled her eyes and leaned against the wall.

"First of all," Ruto began, "much to your relief, I'm sure, the Water Temple is not nearly as large or as complicated as it looks."

"I dunno," Lydia mumbled, peering into the three-level room.  "It looks pretty large and complicated to _me_."

"That's the Water Temple's tricky illusion at work."

"Illusion?" Link asked her.

The Zora nodded.  "Yes.  Mr. Gordon, I believe you counted twelve paths to take, did you not?  In reality, there should be only two paths that actually lead anywhere.  The others are either dead ends or they intertwine with other fake paths."

"How odd," Gordon commented thoughtfully.  "Why would a temple be built in such a fashion?"

"The most obvious reason was to cause anyone who wandered in here to get lost."

Link leaned against the wall.  "That makes sense, I suppose."

"Plus, there are many traps in the false paths to destroy the lost trespassers."

"Why on earth are there so many traps in here?"

"It is said that somewhere in the temple, a giant ruby is hidden, that is worth much on the market."

"Really?" Gordon's dark eyebrows raised with interest.

Ruto nodded.  "Oddly enough, the rumor about the giant ruby only came about recently, around the time Ganon came to power.  Many Zoras have ventured into the Water Temple after it, and none ever returned."

"Sounds like some kind of ghost story for the campfire."

"That is why there is an iron gate at the entrance.  A few years ago, my father got fed up with the disappearances, and sealed the temple.  We haven't lost one Zora since."

Link drummed on the wall with his fingers.  "I had no idea such a dangerous place existed in Hyrule."

Ruto sighed.  "I've been in this temple before – back when Hyrule was still peaceful.  Just like now, there were mostly dead-end paths.  But there were never death traps.  I believe the traps are a new addition of Ganondorf's."

Gordon rubbed his chin throughtfully.  "Perhaps the giant ruby belongs to him.  If it _is worth a lot, he'd prevent it from being stolen.  Death traps __are his style, after all."_

"Hmph." Lydia grunted.  "Everything nowadays has traps.  We'll just have to avoid those."  She looked up at the Zora.  "Do you know which of these paths are the _real ones?"_

Link and Gordon looked at Ruto expectantly.

"Not specifically, I'm afraid," she said with obvious regret in her voice.

Gordon slid to the floor and sat down.  "How do we know which is a fake path and which is a real path without going into one and getting caught by a trap?"

Lydia shook her head.  "I dunno.  It seems that we'll just have to find out by trial and error."

Ruto smiled and stepped closer to Link.  "My dear fiancé, I have not been wasting the last few days at the frozen fountain.  I have traveled around Hyrule, and have visited three Great Fairies."

"The Great Fairies?" Link asked.  "Why?"

"I have brought you gifts from them, to help you in your quest."  As she spoke, a white mist swirled around her hands, and three diamonds appeared in her palms."

Link looked at them like a curious child.  "What are they?"

"Magical spells, for if you are ever caught without your sorcerer companions."  She happily gave the large diamonds to Link.  "Din's Fire, which gives you power over fire.  Fanore's Wind, to escape from danger.  Nayru's Love, for protection."

Lydia scratched her head.  "Din, Fanore, and Nayru.  Aren't those the three goddesses of Hyrule?"

Link smiled.  "Once again, they are very useful gifts.  Thank you very much."

The Zora turned red and got giggly.  

The sorceress rolled her eyes.  "We should really get moving now.  Ruto, I think it'd be smarter if you stayed behind."

Ruto scoffed.  "No.  I'm coming with you.  I don't want to be useless when my race is in danger!  I'm the princess"

"But you haven't been useless.  You've helped us a _lot.  You need to go back outside, where it's safe, _because _you're the princess."_

The Zora's face turned hard.  "Don't make me repeat myself."  She smacked her hands on her hips.  "I'm going with you whether you like it or not."

"_Fine!  But don't come crying to me when some monster eats you!"_

"Girls, girls, girls!" Link waved his hands between them.  "Knock it off!"  He sighed loudly, forced himself to smile, then turned to Ruto.  "I have to agree with Lydia on this one.  You indeed have been a big help, and I think I'd feel better if you'd stay where it's safe.  After all, if you want to be my wife someday, you need to stay safe."

Lydia's fists clenched and unclenched.  _If you want to be my WIFE someday?  She wasn't sure why, but she wanted to kill the Hylian right then._

Ruto's face melted and her eyes grew to twice their size.  "Oh, you're right of _course.  I'll do just as Miss Lydia says and wait outside."  She hugged Link tightly around the neck.  _

The sorceress was _steaming._

Ruto let go of him and stepped back.  She smiled and waved to the trio, then turned and dove into the water.  In seconds, she had disappeared back through the iron gates, back to Lake Hylia.

Gordon knew his sister well.  He cleared his throat loudly and stepped as far away from her as he could.  Link backed away from her until he was practically climbing up the wall.

Lydia pounced on him and climbed up his back like a spider.  "Wife, huh?  _Wife?" she shouted as she repeatedly beat down on his head.  "I thought you didn't want to marry that Zora!  What's with the sudden change of heart?"_

Under her, Link squirmed around and tried to throw her off.  "Ahh!  Ow!  Ow!  I didn't mean it!  We _all know that saying something like that would be the __only way that she'd leave!  I didn't mean it, you hear?"_

"Excuses, excuses!  You fool!  That'll only make it worse!  How could you _say that to her?  Didn't you even stop to think how __I'd feel about that?"  She stopped short as soon as she realized what just slipped out._

Gordon tapped his foot on the floor.  _Cat's out of the bag._

Caught off guard, Link looked over his shoulder at the sorceress clinging to his back.  "What do you mean by that?"

Lydia stuttered horribly and flushed bright red.  "I...I...well....n-nothing...,"  She slipped to the floor and stepped back a little bit, really embarrassed.

Link just looked at her, then turned a little red himself.  

She continued moving backward.  "That didn't mean anything okay?" she said quickly.  "I was just mad, and you know how when I'm mad, I talk fast."

"_Now who's making excuses?"  He reached up and pushed on Lydia's forehead with one finger.  "Caught ya."_

Link's push caused Lydia to step back again, and this time, there was no ground beneath her feet.  With a wail, she tumbled back into the water-filled room at the end of the hall.  She resurfaced quickly, and Gordon and Link were both laughing down at her.

"You're all wet now, huh?" Gordon called.

"Weren't you just saying something?" Link asked through his laughter.

Lydia paddled back and grabbed onto the edge.  "Oh, go lay an egg, Long Ears."

Gordon sat down on the edge and dangled his legs into the deep water.  "Well, now that we've gotten that out of our systems, what say we get started?"

The sorceress turned and looked down.  The water she was in was so deep, she couldn't even see the bottom clearly.  "_I'm not goin' all the way down there."_

"Can't blame you, really," she heard her brother say.

"Okay!" Lydia slapped the water next to her, then pulled herself up onto the ledge and sat between the boys.  "Here's the plan.  Link, you go to the bottom floor and see if you can figure out if any of those paths is one of the two that leads anywhere.  Gordon, you search the middle floor.  I'll search the top.  When we're finished, we'll meet back right here."

Her brother looked at her.  "A few minutes ago, weren't you just ranting that we shouldn't split up?"

"Changed my mind.  It's the only way we're gonna figure this place out."

"Y-You want _me to go way down there?" Link asked, nervously pointing at himself.  "Why __me?"_

Lydia stared at him.  "You have the weight advantage," she replied, jabbing a finger at the Iron Boots.  "What's the matter, Hero?  Scared?"

"Of _course not.  Triforce of Courage, remember?  It's just that the idea of there being lots of traps in here is making me really nervous."_

"You're not the only one," Gordon said.  "I'm kinda nervous, too."

Lydia laughed.  "I'll bet my car that _I'm more nervous than both of ya put together.  But we'll all be nervous together, okay?"_

Link smiled.  "Right.  Okay."  He cleared his throat the peered into the water.  "Let's just be really careful.  The false paths have traps meant to kill the tresspassers."

"So...if we hit a trap, it's a false path, right?"

"I guess."

The sorceress played with her earring.  "Hmph.  Sounds too easy."

"You think so?"  Gordon asked.  "They're probably nasty traps.  I'm not too worried about Link; his reflexes will be hard to keep up with.  It's _you I'm worried about."_

"Well, I appreciate that, but I promise I'll be careful."  She pounded a fist into the open palm of her other hand, then turned to Link.  "Are you ready?"

Link cracked his knuckles with anticipation.  "As I'll ever be."

"Then what are you doing wasting time up here, Hero?" she scoffed back at him.  "Go, already."

She gave him a hard shove in the back, pushing him right off the platform and into the water.  The Iron Boots dragged him to the bottom in moments.  Lydia peered into the water after him.  Link seemed so small way down there.  He looked up at them, waved, then moved into the closest hallway.

When his sister looked over at him, Gordon raised his hands defensively.  "No need for a push.  I can go myself.  Is that spell of yours still in effect?  We've been out of the water for a while."

Lydia nodded.  "Yeah, it should be.  In fact, it'll probably be in effect until the middle of the night, so we have plenty of time.  Hours.  Don't worry 'bout it."

Gordon peered below his feet at the middle floor of the temple.  "Something tells me we're gonna _need hours to figure out this place."  Without further words, he pushed himself off the edge and slipped into the water.  He picked the closest hallway in the floor below and swam inside.  _

Left alone, the sorceress stretched her legs out, moaned loudly, then stood up on the platform.  There were three passages on this dry level of the temple that she could choose from.  One on the left, right, and straight ahead.  As she tried to decide where to go first, her own voice echoed back in her head.

_Didn't you even stop to think how I'd feel about that?_

"Man," she thought to herself, "that was really stupid.  I really don't think as well as I probably should.  Think before you speak next time, idiot.  Hell, I don't even know _why I said something like that in the first place.  Why should I care what Long Ears says to that Zora?  Well, phooey on him, I'm not even gonna think about that right now.  I have more important things to do here."_

That was her excuse to herself.  That would be her method of forgetting about it.

It didn't work too well.

_God, what the hell is wrong with me?  Why DO I seem to care about what Link said to her?  I mean, it's not like I care about the guy quite like that...or anything....  No, that's Ruto's job._

Unsatisfied and angry at herself, she smacked her forehead.

_Damn, why can't I just admit it to myself, finally?  I've been refusing to admit it for seven years now, and it's about time I said it.  Not to anyone else, necessarily.  More importantly, to myself._

She took a deep breath and spoke aloud, even though no one was there to hear it. 

"I care about you, Link.  A lot."

_There, I said it.  Was that so hard?  __....Hell yes, it was hard._

She scoffed out loud and slapped her hand across her own face.  "Snap out of it, fool.  You finally said it and it's over.  Now forget it and get to work.  The guys'll get impatient."

Easier said than done, but she gave it her best effort.

The temple suddenly seemed bigger than it had a second or two ago.  The room seemed deeper and the passages seemed darker.  She seemed really small in comparison to the world.

"Ah, crabs," she muttered, rubbing the back of her neck.  "I hope we come out of this place in one piece."

Peering down to the bottom of the central room of the temple, Lydia caught herself suddenly worried about Link.

_Oh, knock it off and quit acting like some lovesick schoolgirl._

Determined to move forward and forget about it, she uttered short words of magic and levitated over to the east passageway.

Link peered down the corridor he now stood in.  When he landed on the bottom of the room, there were four ways to go, and the closest one was the north path.  The corridor wasn't very long, and took a sharp right turn at the end.

He didn't move forward right away.  Instead, he leaned on the wall just inside and crossed his arms.  He could still hear her voice in his head.

_Didn't you even stop to think how I'd feel about that?_

"No, I didn't.  I didn't know you cared that much…."

He slid down along the wall, sat on the floor, and thought hard.

He had known Lydia for quite a while now, and nothing he said had ever seemed to bother her.  He teased her and called her names, and poked fun at her all the time, and she always fought back with a smile on her face.  He even said some pretty sorry things when he had gotten depressed about Hyrule, and it still didn't bother her.  All she did the whole time was try to cheer him up.  They were constantly threatened by various enemies, and nothing they ever said got to Lydia.  The enemies were always feeding them death threats, but she never swallowed a single one.  She just brushed it off and threw fireballs.

But today, he had seen something completely new.  He said the one thing that he knew would make Ruto go somewhere safer, and it worked.  He really didn't mean what he said to her about being his wife someday.  He didn't want to marry Ruto at all.  And yet, it really bothered the sorceress.

How could he have been so blind?  

Besides, it's not like this is the first time she's reacted to something like that!  How could he have been so _stupid?  Why didn't he pay attention before?  Plus, Gordon had been giving him hints all this time!_

Why couldn't he have seen that somewhere deep down in that rock-hard personality of hers, she had feelings, just like any other person?  

And that those feelings were for _him?_

Disgusted with himself, Link grabbed hold of his hair with both hands and pulled on it.  "I am such an idiot!"  He felt like kicking himself.

Link stood quickly.  "I have to talk to her," he said to himself.  He turned and started back out of the corridor.  After a few steps into the main room, he stopped.  Glancing up, he could see the ripples of the surface of the water, three stories up.  He smiled to himself and shook his head.

"....Better not.  Knowing her, she'd yell at me for not doing what I came down here to do.  She'd probably try to tie my ears together."  He sighed and turned around, then started back into the corridor.  "…I'll talk to her after this is all over."

The Hylian pulled himself together quickly, then stepped inside the passage.  He moved slowly at first.  The Iron Boots clanged on the floor with every step, and the water only amplified the sound.  As he got farther in, and nothing had happened yet, he quickened his pace slightly.  He neared the right turn in the hallway.

Then he heard a _click._

Instinctively, he jumped back a few feet, just as a sharp iron gate slammed shut inches in front of him.  It was a bar gate, much like the one at the entrance of the temple.  The edges of it were lined with spines.  If he hadn't jumped back, it would have sliced right through him.

There was another click.  Link jumped back again, and another gate, just like the first, snapped shut where he had just been standing.  There was another click, another jump, and a _third gate.  This time, Link kept running backward.  As he went, gate after gate after __gate slammed shut in front of him, each narrowly missing slicing him into two pieces._

After about fifteen individual gates, Link finally ended up back in the main room, and a final gate slammed shut at the entrance to the corridor.  He stood there, his chest heaving and his mouth hanging open. 

"False...False path...."  

He turned and moved to the next one, the west corridor.  "I hope they don't get much worse than that," he muttered to himself.

Link carefully moved into the west corridor, and almost immediately had to dive out again.  A section of the left wall opened and a razor blade taller than him swung across the corridor.  Praising his quick reflexes, Link moved on to the third corridor, the north one.

It was another long hallway that took a left turn at the end.  Link moved really slowly and listened for any sounds other than the clanging of his boots.  He watched the walls, floor, and ceiling for any movement.  When he neared the left turn, something shifted in the wall at the end.  The Hylian stiffened as the wall in front of him opened up.  It moved back and slid into the right wall, revealing a second wall, covered with long steel spikes.  

Impaled in the center of the spike wall was the skeleton of a long dead Zora.

Link choked when he saw it.  

One of the Zoras that had tried to get the ruby in the temple.  This particular trap in this particular false path had done its horrible job.

The spike wall shifted and slowly began to move forward.  Link snapped back into reality and turned on his heel.  "Okay, time to move!"  Then he bolted for the main room.  The Iron Boots slowed him down a bit, but even so, being planted on the ground by them tripled his underwater moving speed.

As Link ran, the spike wall began moving faster and faster behind him.  It chased after him, as if eager to hang another victim among its steel spikes.  It got closer and closer with every passing second.

When he could almost feel the spikes poking his back, Link made a flying leap and rolled back into the main room.  The spike wall clanged into its resting place at the corridor's entrance and stopped.

Link sat down and held his aching chest with his hand.  He looked at the skeleton of the poor Zora that had been unable to outrun the spikes.  It was stretched out in the position that told the story of the absolute agony of its last few moments of life.  

"What a horribly nasty place this is," he whispered aloud.

He curled his legs close and gave the Iron Boots a thankful pat with his hand.  It's a good thing he had those things.  There would have been no way to out-swim those spikes.  He would've been next to that Zora.  Then a horrible thought crossed his mind.

_By the goddesses....  If Gordon or Lydia had come down here instead of me..._

A violent shudder traveled up Link's spine as he pushed the terrible image out of his head.

After gathering the pieces of his courage back together, he stood up again.  He gave the dead Zora a respectful salute, then turned and edged toward the last corridor on the bottom floor – the east path.

Link didn't walk right into the corridor this time.  Instead, he edged along the adjacent wall, pressing his back against the cold concrete.  Step by step, he neared the corridor entrance, then carefully followed the wall inside.

He pushed off the wall then, expecting something to spring out of it, and walked slowly down the middle of the corridor.  This one was perfectly straight – no turns or bends.  Completely paranoid, the Hylian edged down the hallway.  Every sense was perked, expecting the unexpected.

Eventually, he hit another small wall.  It was only about as tall as Link, just like the one at the entrance.  He gripped the edges and heaved himself up to the top of the small wall.  Just like at the entrance, the water ended there, and he was up on a dry platform.  Ahead was another corridor.  Now convinced he was finally getting somewhere, Link pressed on.

There was a light at the end of the corridor.  When the corridor ended, there was a large, empty room, except for a single dead tree in the middle.  The floor was very misty – it was like a shallow lake at sunrise.

Link didn't step inside.  He just looked in from his place at the end of the hall.  After a few moments, he turned and started to head back.

"I found one of the two real paths.  The east path on the bottom floor actually leads somewhere."

He reached the small wall and jumped back into the water, and started trekking back to the main room.  He had to hurry back to meet up with the sorcerers.

"I just hope that I got the worst of the traps," he said.  "I hope the others are okay."

He thought of the Zora skeleton and shuddered again.

_I don't understand those two at all.  __Why don't they just come out and SAY it to each other instead of being all sneaky?_

As soon as Link had gone into his first hallway, Gordon swam into the closest one, which was the south path of the second floor.

"They're so screwy," he said quietly to himself.  "Lydia's in denial and Link's completely unobservant.  I've been helping them along for a while, but they're stubborn."  He shrugged heartilly.  "Ah, well, they'll come around.  As for me, I have work to do.  We have a temple to crack."

He swam down the corridor, taking his time.  He held onto the wall and pulled himself along by putting his fingers in the tile cracks.

At the end of the hallway, there was a right turn.  When the turn was in sight, he saw something move in the wall ahead.  Several tiles slid open, and a trap was sprung.

Around two dozen silver arrowheads shot themselves from the wall.  There were no shafts on these arrows.  Only the sharp, pointy part.  Two dozen of them were rocketing down the corridor, with amazing speed, considering that this floor was underwater, right toward the sorcerer.

Gordon's adrenilin kicked in and he threw his hands out.  "**Chaos String!**"

Hundreds of very thin strings of white magic sprung from his fingers and formed a make-shift web in front of him.  The arrowheads hit the strings and got entangled, stopping in their path.  Gordon shook the strings from his hands, and the arrowheads sank to the bottom of the hallway, still tangled in the pile of magic strings.

The sorcerer heaved a sigh of relief.  "Fake path," he told himself, then turned and swam back to the main room.

Once back in the large main room, he moved right and swam over to the east corridor.  He peered around the corner and looked inside.  The corridor obviously ended a ways in, but he couldn't tell from where he was if it turned somewhere, or just dead-ended.  So he edged inside, and once again used the walls to move ahead.

The end of the corridor was indeed a dead end.  It didn't turn left or right.  It simply stopped.

Gordon scoffed.  "Another fake."

With a shrug, he turned around and started to make his way back.  Then there was a short rumble, and the ceiling opened up in the corridor, right above the entrance at the beginning.  A huge boulder fell through the opening and landed in the corridor.  It was large enough to fill the entire hallway.  It completely blocked Gordon's way back into the main room.

And then the boulder started rolling.  Not out into the main room.  Rather, _into the corridor, straight at Gordon, who was trapped like a rat in the dead end.  The boulder picked up speed quickly as it hurried to squash the trespasser._

Gordon knew he could get out of this situation, but the fact that he was cornered like this gave the element of fear a chance to edge into his brain.  It delayed his reaction by a couple of seconds, and he had trouble thinking of what to do.

When the boulder was halfway down the corridor, Gordon's head cleared and he saw his way out of this trap.  He balled his fists and held them out in front of him.

"**Dolph Zork!**"

The water that surrounded him quickly massed between his balled fists and snapped together to form a long water blade.  With a shout, Gordon swung his arms out and sent the blade flying.  It cut right through the boulder, breaking it into a hundred small pieces.  The sorcerer held his arms up in front of his head as the small stones whizzed by him and smashed into the dead end wall.

Gordon raked his hand down his face.  "_Geez.  Ganondorf really doesn't want his ruby stolen."_

He moved up to the north corridor next.  

After only a few feet inside, another trap sprung.  The ceiling above opened up and a wall of spikes started decending quickly down on him.  It would be impossible to swim out of the way.  Gordon only had a fraction of a second to react, but as a sorcerer, that was all he needed.

"**Diem Wing!**"

In the water, the air spell had a different effect.  The force of the spell blew him backward.  He sailed out of the way of the spikes just as they crashed into the floor where he had been, each spike making small dents in the tile floor.

When he gathered himself and look back again, he saw something sticking out from under the spikes.  His chest collapsed when he realized what it was.  It was an arm – the arm of a Zora skeleton.  The skeleton was impaled on the spikes.  They had come down on Gordon so fast that he hadn't even seen the bones before reacting.

"These traps are _serious_!" he heaved.  

Eager to leave this temple as soon as possible, he moved on to the west corridor, the last one in his section of the temple.

He carefully edged into the west hall, and soon came up to a small platform.  He grabbed hold of the top and pulled himself up, finding it dry.  He hauled himself up out of the water, shook the water off of his shoes, then moved forward. 

The dry hallway ended quickly.  At the end was a dead-end circular room.  There were no other paths out of this room.  It was just a plain, empty room with curved walls.

Having learned to expect the worst in this place, Gordon did not enter the room.  He stood at the end of the hallway, just outside the circle.  He reached into his pocket and pulled out a coin.  He tossed the coin ahead of him.  It bounced several times and came to rest near the center of the room.  Within seconds, the ceiling of the circular room rumbled and shook, then crashed down to the floor with amazing speed.  The weight of the ceiling made huge cracks in the floor and scattered rubble everywhere.  Anything in there would have been crushed.

It was obvious to Gordon that he wasn't going to get his coin back.  

The sorcerer sighed and cracked his back.  "Glad that's over," he sighed.  "This floor is nothing but traps."  

He snarled loudly, thinking of the Zora skeleton he had seen.  "What a crap-hole this place is."

Disgusted and angry, the sorcerer briskly headed back to the meeting place on the third floor.

The east corridor of the third floor was completely silent, save for the sound of Lydia's shoes on the stone floor.  She could smell the humidity and could feel the heat.  She wanted to get this over with.

The hall she was in was straight, until it took a right turn at the end.  The sorceress swiftly moved through the hallway.  About halfway in, she saw a discolored spot on the wall.  It was a square ring of discolor that circled the hallway.  The band of off-color was about three feet wide. 

Lydia stopped in her tracks.  "This is too obvious if _I notice it.  May be smart to send a scout ahead."_

She closed her eyes and held her hands in front of her.  "**Ferrous Bleed**."  A ball of light began to glow between her hands, and after a few seconds, it formed into the shape of a small dove.  Satisfied with herself, Lydia held the dove with one hand and stroked its white wings with the other.

"Okay, little one," she said to it, "you're gonna be my lookout."  She gently waved her hand in the direction of the turn at the end of the corridor, and the dove beat its wings and flew ahead down the hall.

As it was flying past the band of discolored wall, the off-colored tiles opened up, and two thin walls of steel spikes came out of the walls and slammed into each other, barely missing the dove as it flew between, only managing to clip off its tail feathers.  The dove turned into a ball of light and vanished.

Lydia gritted her teeth.  "What IS it with ancient dungeons and spike wall traps?  They _all have them.  ...I suppose they __are efficient, but still..."  She grunted again, turned, and ran back to the main hallway and flew over to the north corridor._

The north path was a very short hallway that immediatly opened up into a humongous room.  Torches lined the walls, and at the far end was a huge set of double iron doors.  

Lydia gawked.  "This one _definitely leads somewhere."_

She moved in and examined the doors.  They were made of really sturdy iron, and would not be easy to open.  Only her strongest spells would open these.  Right in the center of the right door was a hollow in the shape of a sphere.  It sat empty, waiting for something to be inserted.

"Hmm....," Lydia rubbed her neck.  "Needs some kind of key or something...  I'll have to show this to the guys.  But for now, I have one more hallway to check.

Within minutes, she had moved into the west corridor, the last unchecked path on her floor.

The corridor was completely straight, and it looked like it the end was a dead-end wall, but Lydia figured it'd probably be smart to check it anyway.

When she was about halfway down the hall, the ground beneath her suddenly disappeared with her next step as a trap door in the floor opened up.  As soon as she realized she was falling, the sorceress frantically reached out to catch herself on something.  She somehow managed to grab hold of the far edge of the hole.  Her stomach slammed into the wall of the pit, knocking the wind out of her lungs.  She gasped for air, and the fact that she had just been badly startled wasn't helping.

As she hung there like some kind of bait, Lydia's heart raced, not realizing until now what had just happened.  It had happened so fast that there had been no time to think.  She swallowed hard, then worked up the courage to look down.

Several feet below her toes, the pit ended.  Sticking up were dozens of long steel spikes.  The spikes were stained with dark red blood, and several Zora skeletons lay entangled among them, twisted with the agony of their deaths.

Lydia was so disgusted and terrified that she shrieked out loud.  Her arms trembled and she almost lost her grip on the wall.  With a sudden burst of adrenilin, the sorceress pulled herself up out of the pit, back onto the solid ground of the corridor.  There she sat for a long time with her hand over her mouth, unable to ward off the sudden terror and sickness she felt.  She felt like a lost, scared child.

All in one move, she stood, closed her eyes, and jumped back over the pit.  She only made it a few feet more before her knees gave out from fear.  She stopped and slumped down against the wall, then started crying into her hands.

"Oh God Oh God Oh God.  I don't want to be here!  I can't handle this!  I can't stay here!"

She tried to tell her legs to stand up and start running back to the exit, but they wouldn't obey.  They just stayed curled underneath her, as if they knew her companions would need help, and that she shouldn't run.

That's when she realized what they had gotten themselves into by coming here.  All the Zoras that came in here were killed.  And now it was possible that they could be killed, as well.  For all she knew, Link and Gordon could have already been caught by the traps.  She might never see either of them alive again.

Lydia had been scared when Ganondorf attacked them seven years before.  She had been scared when Link pulled the Master Sword and disappeared into the Sacred Realm.  She had been scared when Volvagia tried to eat her and her brother.  She had been scared when Nabooru tried to slice her to pieces.

But this left those all behind.

All she could do was sit there and cry. 


	18. Chapter 18

**_Worlds Apart  
Part II  
By Miss Lydia_****__**

**Chapter 18**

With a quick transfer out of the Iron Boots, Link was on his way back to the top floor. As he passed the second floor, Gordon appeared out of a corridor close to him.

"Hey, good timing!" Link called to him. "Are you okay?"

Gordon made a weird face and swam close to him. "A little shaken up, but okay."

The two started up toward the third floor.

"Did you find anything?" Link asked.

"Nah. My floor was all traps. You?"

"I found a path that leads somewhere. That must mean that the other path is on Lydia's floor."

They broke out into the air again, and grabbed the edge of the corridor where they were to meet again. Gordon groaned and pulled himself up onto the platform. Link could see deep sorrow in his green eyes.

"What I found wasn't exactly pleasant, though," the sorcerer said sadly.

Link propped his arms up on the platform, then rested his chin on his wrists. "Me either. This place is really nasty."

Gordon nodded. "It kinda makes you look at things a different way, like—"

"Shh!" Link raised a hand suddenly. "Do you hear that?"

The sorcerer quieted immediately and listened to the air. The sounds of water dripping from the ceiling echoed off of the walls, but otherwise, there was nothing.

"I don't hear anything," he said to the Hylian, who had one hand cupped behind his long ear. "Are you sure you didn't imagine it?"

Link didn't reply, but just kept listening. His eyebrows wrinkled together and he turned to the west side of the temple. "There it is again. I think it came from this way." He pushed away from the platform and swam using long strokes over to the west corridor of the third floor.

Gordon slid in and followed him. He still couldn't hear any noises other than the ones they were making, but he had learned long ago to trust the ears of a Hylian, especially Link's.

Link reached the corridor in seconds and pulled himself in. Staying down on one knee, he peered far into the dark corridor and stayed motionless, listening to the sound. 

The sorcerer grabbed the platform and hauled himself out of the water, then crouched down next to Link. The Hylian looked like a statue, like some kind of cat stalking a meal.

"It's definitely coming from this way," Link said quitely, suddenly standing up. He started walking forward, followed closely by Gordon. "It sounds a little bit like...." He stopped abruptly, and suddenly broke into a quick jog.

The sorcerer caught up quickly, starting to get worried. "I still can't hear it! _What_ do you hear?"

Link didn't answer. He kept running, his gaze locked on the corridor ahead.

Gordon perked his ears up and ran as quietly as he could. He still couldn't hear anything. He kept listening as he and Link moved through the corridor. And then, there it was. It was a small sound somewhere up ahead. It sounded like a quiet whimper or a whine.

It sounded like crying.

Lydia.

It was no wonder to Gordon why Link was moving so quickly. His sister may be hurt or in some kind of trouble. He quickened his pace then, as anxious as Link was to reach her, wherever she was.

Abruptly, she came into view. The sorceress was sitting against the wall with her face buried in her arms. Her shoulders moved along with her crying. Link and Gordon slowed to a walk and approached quietly. She looked all right from where they were. Physically, anyway.

She lifted her tear-soaked face and gazed at them with her big eyes. As soon as she saw them, a smile of relief and happiness brightened the hallway, and she jumped to her feet. With a cry of joy, she jumped on her brother and wrapped her arms around his neck, crying loudly into his ear.

"I'm...so...g-glad..you're okay!" she managed to sob. She sprung off Gordon and jumped on Link. "I was so worried about you!" She started crying so hard that her knees buckled. Link held on to her so she could stay on her feet. She buried her face in his tunic and continued to sob. Link gently stroked her hair, and looked up at Gordon with wide, shocked eyes.

"Are _you_ okay?" Gordon asked his sister.

The sorceress nodded.

"Are you _sure_? I understand that you were worried about me and Link, but you're absolutely in a state of panic!"

"Did something happen?" Link asked gently.

Lydia swung one arm behind her without turning away from the comforting security of Link's shirt, and pointed to a large hole in the floor, several feet ahead of where they had found her crying.

Gordon saw Link swallow hard and narrow his eyes. The Hylian gently passed Lydia over to him. She let go of Link's neck long enough to make the transfer to Gordon's, then continued sobbing. Gordon watched Link move forward slowly. He stopped at the edge of the hole and peered down inside. He stiffened, and after several seconds of awkward silence, turned around and started staggering back. His face was pale and his teeth were clenched together. 

Still rubbing the back of his sobbing sister, Gordon was afraid to ask what was down there. Link stopped next to him and held one hand over his eyes. Lydia let go of the sorcerer and moved over to Link again. Link stood there with her and hid his face in her hair. Neither of them said a thing.

Gordon's curiousity got the better of him then. Something simple wouldn't have upset them so much. The sorcerer walked over to the hole. It was a perfectly formed square hole, and the floor that had once covered it was hanging against one wall of the pit. Gordon nervously leaned over the edge and looked down inside. 

The bottom of the pit was littered with huge spikes, larger than the ones he had seen. Scattered among them were ten to fifteen Zora skeletons. The spikes poked up through ribs and through skulls, and skeletal limbs were wrapped around them.

A wave of sickness swept over Gordon, and he leaned against the wall with tightly closed eyes. He had only seen one Zora himself, and only a small part of it. And _this_ is what his sensitive sister found? 

It seemed then that the whole world had stopped around them. Time itself ceased to flow. No sounds reached their ears. Even the sorceress was quiet. There was no living thing in all of Hyrule, except three scared adventurers in the resting place of the dead.

Lydia broke the silence. "I can't stand this," she whispered.

Link's face reappeared. "I know. I don't know if I can stand it either."

The sorceress shook her head fiercely and pushed away from him. "No, no, I can't _be_ here!" She started crying again. "I don't know if I can handle this! I...I'm really scared! I need to get outta this place! I don't want to do this anymore!" She turned and started to run, but Link caught her wrist. He pulled her back and gripped her shoulders tightly.

"Listen," he said, both gently and forcefully at the same time, "I'm scared, too, okay? If we didn't _have_ to be here in order to save Hyrule, I'd have been long gone already. And you know it takes a lot to scare me, right?"

Lydia pressed her lips together and nodded.

"I know how you feel, and I'm sure Gordon does too," Link continued. "But we'll get through this."

Gordon stood up, and after one last glance at the pit, walked away swiftly. He forced himself to smile, and clapped Lydia on her back. "Sure we will. This temple has been unpleasant for all of us, I'm sure. But we're the bone-crushing heroes, as you like to say, and nothing has gotten in our way so far. What do you say we avenge these poor Zoras and pulverize whatever's in here?"

Link smiled at him. "Well put." He turned back to the sorceress, who was feverishly wiping her eyes with her hands. "Let's at least pretend that this place isn't as bad as it is. Let's pretend that we're not scared. We'll get through faster that way."

Lydia shook her head and laughed in spite of herself. "I'll do better than that. I won't pretend. I'll actually be brave for real, if it'll make you happy."

Gordon curled his hand over her shoulder. "_That's_ the nutball I know! Now, what do you say we get moving? The sooner we go, the sooner we can _leave_."

He and Link started back down the corridor. Lydia followed several feet behind. She took a final glance back. The death pit was almost completely hidden by the shadows. She could almost hear the Zoras calling to her, begging her to purify the temple once more. Of course, it was just her imagination. ...Or was it? She sighed, turned, and jogged to catch up to the boys.

Up ahead, Link leaned down to Gordon. "Nutball? You're lucky she didn't pound you."

Gordon waved a hand. "Nah. She's not in the mood now. She'll just pound me later."

Lydia shook her head and laughed. "You really know me well, don't you?"

"Naturally."

"You're right, too. You'll get it later. _Pow!_"

When the main room came back into view, the three stopped inside the entranceway of the corridor and leaned against the walls. 

Link cleared his throat absently. "So, Gordon, what was on your floor?"

"Nothing but traps," the sorcerer replied. "Nasty ones, too. Thank God for my magic." His face turned sour. "I also found the remains of a Zora, but just one, caught in one of the traps."

Lydia scowled.

The Hylian sighed loudly. "I found one, too. But...something really doesn't make sense to me."

"What's that?" the sorceress asked, momentarily emerging from her personal gloom.

"The Zora race has never been a greedy group. They live off the land and respect it. They do nothing for profit. I can understand one or two Zoras coming in here after a so-called giant ruby, but here's what baffles me. When those one or two Zoras never returned from the temple, _why_ did so many more go in? They're not idiots."

Gordon glanced into the main room, his expression vacant. "Seems there's more to this story than we know."

"I'm sure there is," Lydia said, "but we won't find out anything if we just stand here. Link, did you find anything else?"

"Actually, yes," the Hylian replied. "One of the corridors on the bottom floor leads to a shallow, misty lake in a large room. We'd better check that."

"One of the corridors up here had two huge double iron doors in it. There was a hollow cavity in one of the doors. It looked like something needs to be inserted there to open those doors."

"...A key, perhaps?"

"That was my guess, too."

"Anything else in there?"

"Nope. Just the doors."

Link pushed off the wall and slipped back into the Iron Boots. "We'd better check out the lake room first, then. We may find something there."

The sorceress snarled to herself. "We'd _better_ find something there."

With quick glances at each other, the trio jumped into the water-filled room, with Link leading the way. The two sorcerers each held on to one of Link's arms as the boots pulled them all down; that would obviously be the fastest way to the bottom.

Once they landed on the sandy floor, Lydia happened to glance off to the side. She saw a wall of spikes at the entrance to a corridor, and impaled on them was a Zora skeleton – apparently, the one Link had said he found. The sorceress grimaced and closed her eyes tightly, not opening them until she felt Link's hand on her shoulder. He nodded his encouragement, then moved away to a nearby hallway, with Gordon alongside him. Lydia gathered her courage and followed the two boys in.

It wasn't long before they hit the wall, similar to the one at the entrance. After heaving themselves up and out of the water, and after a transfer out of the Iron Boots, they moved on. Link walked in front, leading them confidently down the hallway.

Eventually, it opened up into a very large room. The walls were not easily visible, and the floor wasn't at all. The floor seemed to be a six inch deep lake. Mist hung all around the water, making it nearly impossible to find the floor. At the far end of the room was a door, that looked pretty locked up. In the center of the "lake" was a dead tree.

"Creepy," Lydia muttered.

They moved in carefully and quietly. The mist swirled around their legs and the humidity hung heavily. As they neared the dead tree in the center, Gordon started to get visibly uneasy.

"I sense something in here," he said quietly. 

"What is it?" his sister asked.

"Can't tell. But it's definitely something. Let's be careful."

They quietly passed the dead tree and closed in on the door. Gordon continued to get nervous. Link was starting to glance about cautiously, as well. Lydia couldn't tell anything, but trusted her companions, and stayed on guard.

They reached the door on the far side, and a quick glance at the chains and padlocks on it told them that there was no going through.

"So much for that," Lydia declared. "Could I just blast through it, or something?"

Link smirked at her. "That's your solution to everything; To make it explode."

The sorceress rolled her eyes and turned around to head back. She took one step and stopped, stiffened, and narrowed her eyes. She reached over and slugged Link's arm.

"Uh, guys?" she whispered. "...What's that?"

The other two whirled around. The room was still empty at first glance. But after a more careful look around the room, they could see what she saw. Something was by the dead tree. It was a dark form, not even fully materialized. It was like a cloud, floating motionless, waiting for something.

"I..." Link stuttered, "...I have no idea what that is..."

The three moved forward, to get a closer look. It could have been some kind of illusion, but as they got closer, the form solidified, took shape, and stepped forward. It was about Link's height, had his build, and had long black ears....

Wits as sharp as ever, Link drew his sword. In turn, the dark form drew a sword of its own. Link, experimenting, took a few steps forward. The form did as well. Link moved to his left. The form moved to _it's_ left. Link swung his sword horizontally in front of him. Again, the dark form mimiked the move.

"Uh huh...," Link muttered to himself. "Thought so."

"Link," Gordon said, "is that.....your _shadow_?"

"I guess you'd better fight him," Lydia announced. She clapped Link on the back. "What a challenge for you, eh?"

Link's eyes hardened to their classic determined-to-win mode. He took a few steps forward, as did the shadow. As Link moved, the shadow mimiked everything. When Link was a fair distance from the sorcerers, he was ready to make the first move. 

He didn't get the chance. Through doing simple mimiking, the shadow charged forward and swung its sword. Link brought his shield up just in time, but was still thrown aside, landing hard on his back.

Gordon reacted without thinking about it. "**Digger Vo--**"

"No!" Link raised a hand and crawled to his feet. "This fight is mine." 

"....But..."

Lydia pulled Gordon back by his sleeve and whispered in his ear. "I know how you feel, but if Link wants to fight this fight alone, let him. After all, we're always the ones doing most of the damage. And you know Link hates feeling useless." Then she slyly added, "But stay prepared."

Content with that, Gordon stood ready, just in case.

Link gathered himself and gripped the Master Sword tightly, raising it threateningly at the shadow, who was standing calmly, watching his every move.

"I see what I'm dealing with now," he said to it. "You're not _just_ a shadow. You can make your own moves. Okay then...."

The Hylian sidestepped one way, then another. The shadow copied his movements at first, then broke free of the pattern and charged Link again. Link side-jumped away and the shadow ran past. Link swung his sword in a wide arc. The shadow did the same, and the two Master Swords hit with a loud _clang_. 

Link swung and jabbed his sword over and over again, and the shadow kept retaliating with the same move. Getting impatient quickly, Link changed tactics.

The two sorcerers watched with their mouths hanging open. Link was now running in very tight circles around the shadow. The shadow was twirling in place, trying to keep up. Link watched as the shadow appeared to be slightly dizzy, then struck. Without stopping, he jabbed its sword right at the shadow's head.

But, being the shadow of Link, it had his agility as well. In an incredible show of reflexes, the shadow suddenly flung its head to one side, and the Master Sword sailed harmlessly past its ear, leaving Link vulnerable. The shadow reared back to strike. Link jumped back as quickly as he could, but he was in a really bad position. The shadow's Master Sword struck the Hylian in the face, leaving a long cut on his cheek.

Link never stopped moving. When the shadow struck him, his temper was officially lost. With a roar of anger, he ran up and thrust the Master Sword forward in a flurry of power right at the shadow's torso. That move was a final attack that would quickly end the battle with just about anyone. Had it been any other creature in Hyrule, that dangerous thrust of the sword would have hit the mark. However, the shadow again used Link's own inhuman reflexes against him. As the Master Sword sailed toward it, it somehow managed to jump up into the air, out of the way, and then it landed on the outstretched sword. Link, still holding the Master Sword out, stared at it, unable to believe what that thing had just managed to do.

Standing atop the Master Sword, the shadow struck again with its dark sword. Link couldn't move fast enough without letting go of his own sword, and received a nasty blow across his chest. He staggered back, and fell to one knee.

At the sidelines, Gordon was shaking with anger, and Lydia was staring, shocked.

"He's...," Lydia muttered. "He's....losing? _Link_ is _losing_??"

Gordon gritted his teeth together. "I know what you mean. In every single battle, Link has always been unbeatable. He's always been like a machine. Nothing's been a match thus far. But this? This is totally new. He's fighting the greatest warrior in all of Hyrule. He's fighting _himself_."

The sorceress's face softened with worry. She watched Link slowly stand again, holding his chest wound with one hand and gripping the sword with the other. She wanted more than anything to help him, but she knew he didn't want that. The look in his eyes was something she'd never seen before. His eyes were hard and determined. The look on his face actually frightened her.

The shadow stood there, like a mist, holding its dark Master Sword. It never moved. It just watched its opponent, waiting for the next attack.

"Dammit!" Link cursed. "He can do everything _I_ can. That's not making it any easier."

Lydia took a step forward. It was time to help, no matter what Long Ears said.

"Of _course_ he can do everything you can!" she yelled. "He's your damn _shadow_! You have to try something different! You have more tricks up your sleeve than your skill with the sword!"

Link gawked at her, then thought it over. Maybe she was right. He glanced over at Gordon, who's face had lit up with understanding. 

"You're right," the Hylian said. "I'll try something different."

Swallowing hard, he straightened up completely, then stood in the exact same stance the shadow was in – up straight, shield out, with the sword at the ready.

And then Link sheathed the Master Sword and hung his shield on his back.

The shadow did not.

Link's hopes rose. He reached behind his shield and slowly withdrew the Megaton Hammer. The shadow did nothing. It stayed there, holding its dark Master Sword. Link gripped the hammer with both hands and moved it from one side to the other. The shadow moved its sword slightly, but looked confused. It looked like it wasn't sure how to mimic this.

Link smiled to himself. _Bingo!_

So that was it. The shadow had his reflexes, his agility, and his skill. But it only had the Master Sword. He would just have to beat it with other weapons. Somewhere off to the side, he heard Lydia's voice.

"Told you so!"

Link raised the hammer and charged forward with a battle yell. The shadow hesitated, then charged forward itself. It raised its Master Sword to bring it down on Link's head, but Link jumped to the side. The dark Master Sword slammed to the ground beside him. Link spun halfway around and swung the hammer as hard as he could. The "800 pounds" of Megaton Hammer slammed into the shadow's side, knocking it away, sending it sprawling.

The sorcerers were beside themselves with excitement. 

To everyone's disbelief, the shadow sprung back to its feet with amazing speed and struck at Link again. Link leaned out of the way of its sword and swung the hammer again. But the shadow had learned the lesson, and avoided it this time. The weight of the hammer had Link off guard, and the shadow laid another sword blow on him.

Lydia yanked at her hair in frustration as she watched Link fall to a knee again. "Come _on_! You can't be Mr. Chivalry in a fight like this! How often do you have to fight _yourself, _after all? Cheezy shots may be the only way! Cheese him to death if you have to!"

Link only half-heard her. He was staring at the shadow. His eyes seemed to burn right through it. He snarled at it, and stood up again, holding the new wound. He was aching all over, and was very sick of this fight. "Yeah. Time to fight dirty," he said to himself. He turned his head to look at Lydia. "Watch this!"

The sorceress smirked at her brother. "Am I good with words or what?"

Gordon wasn't even paying attention to her. "Hey..what's he doing?"

Lydia looked back and saw Link holding both hands to his side. He stood there in that stance, watching the shadow. "What _is_ he doing?"

The shadow watched its opponent in that odd stance. It raised its sword and charged forward again. With a shout, Link swung his left arm up into the air in an arc, then down at the floor. He spread his fingers wide and slammed his hand on the ground. There was a flicker of red light under his hand, and then a dome of fire expanded around him. It was small at first, then grew around him. The shadow was enveloped in it quickly, and was slammed back. It flew through the air and landed at the other side of the room.

Link straightened up again and brushed the dust off of his torn-up tunic. "That was kinda fun, actually."

The sorceress laughed. "What _was_ that? It was just like one of our fireballs."

"Din's Fire. Compliments of Ruto."

"I thought I'd be _damned_ when she'd ever come in handy."

Gordon laughed, but his face suddenly fell. He cleared his throat and pointed across the room.

The shadow was up again, and it hadn't wasted any time. It already has its dark sword up and was charging.

Link scoffed. "Oh, for the love of Farore...." 

As the shadow kept coming at him, Link reached under his shield and produced a bomb. He lit it and set it on the ground on front of him. The shadow stopped in its tracks. It was obviously smart enough to know what that was.

Link stood there and actually set one foot on the lit bomb. "Well?" he taunted the shadow. "What are you waiting for? Don't you want to play?"

The shadow refused to move. 

The Hylian took one hand and set it on his chin. "What's that? You _do_ want to play?" He took his foot off the bomb, then reared his leg back. "Let's play then!" With a rush of strength, he kicked the bomb as hard as he could. The thing slammed the shadow in the torso and exploded on contact.

Link raised two fists into the air. "Score! I win! Maybe next time you'll think twice before messing with the Dodongo Buster and Hero."

Lydia, off to the side, rolled her eyes. "That was a pretty cheezy move."

"Hey, you wanted cheese, didn't you?"

"Can't argue with that. I didn't think anyone could cheese that well. …Besides me, of course."

Gordon waved his hand in the air. "Uh, I hate to break up the party, but....," He pointed into the smoke the bomb had left behind. "I don't think it's done yet."

Link was on guard again. He crouched slightly, watching the puff of smoke. How exactly are you supposed to see a black shadow in black smoke? Even his sharp eyesight wasn't helping much.

The smoke at the top suddenly moved, and the shadow appeared. It was flying through the air with the sword raised for a killing shot. Link barely dove to the side in time. The dark sword hit the ground hard. As an instinctive reaction, Link drew his own sword and swung it, clipping the shadow's side.

Unphased, the shadow suddenly unleashed a flurry of stabbing sword blows at a very high speed. Link was only able to block about half of them. The dark sword repeatedly cut into his arms and shoulders as he protectively held the Master Sword.

Link didn't know how much longer he could take this. His body was bleeding and horribly sore.   
  
The shadow kept coming at him, stabbing with its dark sword again and again. All the while, Link's anger continued to well up inside. It kept growing and growing to a dangerous level, like a broken steam pipe. And still, the shadow kept striking. 

With an evil battle howl, the shadow stopped the repeated strikings and reared back its sword. Link was too sore to move. The shadow swung hard, slamming into the shield. The force of the blow sent Link flying backward. He lost his grip on the Master Sword, which flew off somewhere. He hit the floor hard and slid for a good distance before coming to a rest. Feeling defeated and hurt, he lay there in the shallow water and stared up at the ceiling. He heard the sorcerers each call his name, but he was having a lot of trouble moving, and couldn't respond.

The shadow appeared and stared down at him. With its free hand, it reached down, grabbed the front of Link's tunic, and hauled him to his knees. Still gripping his tunic, the shadow raised its sword high and gathered strength for the final strike.

"**_FIREBALL!!_**"

Both sorcerers shouted out at once, sending a combined double-fireball straight for the shadow's head. It turned and looked at the spell dully. Link saw it coming and tried to squirm out of the shadow's grasp. The shadow let go of his tunic and he dropped to the floor. The shadow turned to the fireball, and when it was close, swung its dark sword hard. The fireball was hit and it flew way off course, slamming into a wall. It exploded there, leaving the wall blackened and smoking.

The shadow turned toward the sorcerers and taunted them with its sword. Link realized that it was going to attack them and tried to stand. That didn't work to well, and he was forced to watch.

Without making a sound, the shadow left Link and charged at the two sorcerers, who yelped and scattered in two different directions. It changed is course and practially flew after Gordon, who was continuously firing spells behind him to try to ward off the dark creature. The shadow carelessly dodged each one, and raised its sword when it was close enough to strike.

"Hya-!!"

The shadow felt something hit it hard in the back of the head. When it turned, the girl was there recoiling her fist for another strike. The shadow snarled at her and gripped its sword tightly. Lydia, realizing now how stupid that was, turned and ran. The shadow closed on her quickly. 

As she ran, she tripped over something and fell. Moving too quickly to stop, the shadow tripped over her legs and flew over her head. It did a fancy front hand-spring off the floor and landed softly on its feet. The sorceress glanced back, and saw the hilt of the Master Sword under her ankles.

Link clenched his fists tightly and struggled to get up. "Leave them alone.....," he said quietly.

Gordon flew from across the room and taunted the shadow long enough for Lydia to get away, but she didn't cooperate. Instead, she got up to her knees and grabbed the Master Sword.

The Hylian was up to his knees now. "Leave them out of it.... Damn you..."

Link started to stand, but stopped when he saw the shadow knock Gordon to the ground. Once he was down, the shadow dashed over to Lydia, who wasn't quick enough to escape. It clubbed the back of her head with the handle of its dark sword, and she hit the floor hard.

That was it. The final straw. As his anger and temper exploded, Link was on his feet again. "_Damn you!_" he shouted angrily. "_Damn you to hell!_"

The fight was on again. With renewed strength, Link charged forward and was met by the shadow. Link swung his fists with everything he had. His temper set off the adrenilin, and his fists met the shadow's torso and face over and over. The battle was fierce, but short. Although angry beyond reason, Link was too worn to hold out very long. The shadow struck him, and fresh blood soaked the front of his tunic, and he found himself on the floor again. The shadow gripped his tunic and roughly hauled him to his knees. Its eyes flashed red.

Link's body shook from the pain. _Is this it? Do I die here?_ He had fought hard all this time. He had taken on many monsters, and even Ganondorf himself. The three of them had survived so many attacks and dangers. And this was how he was going to meet his death?

_No!_ Link refused to let himself believe it. Not here. Not now. He would never stand for it. The sorcerers, his dearest friends, would never stand for it.

The shadow raised its dark sword.

Glancing to one side, he saw Gordon slowly climbing to his feet, dazed. To the other side, Lydia was up on her knees. With both hands, she held the Master Sword. Tears were flowing from her eyes. Her eyes spoke to him. Do something, they pleaded to him. You can't die on me like this, they said.

_No! I won't die here! _

With a shriek of rage that echoed off the walls, Link's hands shot forward and slammed into the shadow's chest. The power of Din's Fire was once again released, and an explosion blew the shadow Link away with a howl of pain and shock. It slammed into the nearest wall and hit the floor.

"Link!" Lydia shouted. "Here!" Knowing the Master Sword was too heavy for her to throw, she used all of her strength and slid it across the floor. Link grabbed the hilt as it slid past him and jumped to his feet, his strength once again renewed. 

He charged at the shadow, who was slowly standing, leaning its back on the wall for support. It saw the Hylian coming and lifted its sword, then charged to meet him. Link was too determined and his adrenilin was pumping too fast to be thrown back again. Once again, he thrust the Master Sword on front of him – that deadly final attack that always hit its mark. 

The Master Sword plunged all the way through the shadow, but Link didn't stop. He was too angry to stop. He just kept running with the shadow skewered on his sword. The sword clanged on the wall, pinning the shadow there against the brick. It shrieked in pain and anquish, and started to dissipate. It slowly disintigrated into a mist that rose to the ceiling, where it mixed with the air in the room, slowly disappearing. 

As the shadow slowly dissipated, Link stood there holding the Master Sword against the wall. His legs starting shaking and refused to support his weight anymore. He was too exhausted and torn up. He felt his knees buckle, then the floor came up and slammed into his left side. He heard the Master Sword clang to the ground, then everything went black.

Link forced himself to open his eyes. Light flooded in, and his sight was somewhat blurred. He was stretched out on his back. He couldn't quite remember where he was or what was happening at first. As he lay there and his vision slowly cleared, it started coming back. The water temple...the dark shadow of himself...the fight....

Ignoring the instense headache, he craned his neck and looked around. He was still in the large room with the dead tree. The mist on the floor and up the walls was gone. Lydia and Gordon were each on one side of him, concentrating on their healing spells. The pain from the wounds was steadily fading away.

Gordon happened to glance up. He looked him in the eye, and his face brightened. "He's awake," he announced. Lydia looked up and smiled with relief.

Link groaned and started to sit up, but Lydia put one of her hands on his forehead and pushed him back down. 

"We're not done yet. Just relax."

Quick to surrender, Link laid his head back down on the floor. "...How long was I out?"

"Not too long," Gordon answered. "Actually, after the beating you've taken, I expected you to be out longer. I have to give you credit for your stamina."

Link suddenly snapped alert and sat up. "The shadow! Where is it?"

Lydia pushed him back to the floor. "Don't worry. You got it. It's gone. Now will you please hold still for a few little minutes?"

They were silent for several moments as the sorcerers moved from wound to wound. Finally Lydia spoke up. 

"Hey," she chuckled. "That was pretty cool, Link. Y'know, with the fire spell to the chest and everything."

Gordon joined in. "Yeah, and when you pinned it against the wall with your sword. That was the coolest thing I've ever seen!"

Link smiled in spite of himself, then reached up and rubbed his sore neck. "Paid the price, though." He slowly sat up again, and this time, the sorceress didn't push him down again. Instead, she placed one hand on his face and worked on the cut there.

"Honestly," she scoffed loudly. "Don't the bad guys of Hyrule know by now that they shouldn't mess with you?"

Link sighed and sat quietly, patiently waiting for the sorcerers to finish. He looked down, and had to laugh at himself. His tunic was torn up and splotched with blood. 

"I guess I was kinda careless," he said. "He sure beat the stuffing out of me."

Gordon shook his head. "You weren't careless. You need to consider something. You're the best warrior in Hyrule, and who were you fighting there?"

"....Myself, I guess."

"Exactly." Lydia added. "I don't think you were careless at all. I think you were great. You beat him, right?"

There were a few more minutes of silence, until Link spoke again.

"Thanks for your help, guys."

Lydia chuckled. "What were we supposed to do? Sit there and watch you get all beat up? Uh-uh." She glanced up and saw the look on his face. She cleared her throat and looked down again. "Um..I mean.. You're welcome."

Her brother laughed and shook his head. He took his hands away and cracked his knuckles. "I'm done over here."

"Thanks," Link said. He flexed the arm on Gordon's side. Though the clothing there was all ripped up and stained red, the skin looked fine.

As Lydia finished up, she motioned with her head to the far wall. "Oh, by the way. While you were napping, the chains fell off that door. It's probably open now."

Link craned his neck and looked past her. The door they had found when they came in – the one that was all chained up and covered with padlocks – was bare. On the floor in front of it, the chains and locks lay in a pile.

"That shadow must have been some kind of guardian," he guessed.

Lydia wrinkled her eyebrows. "Why would a temple guardian be a shadow of _you_, though?"

Gordon stretched and cracked his back. "Perhaps it was actually some kind of entity. Maybe it was supposed to take the form of whatever walked in here, then take care of it."

The sorceress finished the last wound, then folded her hands in her lap. "Can you stand?"

"I think so." Link shifted his weight and slowly stood. He was still a little shaky. Gordon walked off for a moment, then reappeared at Link's side, holding the Master Sword. Link smiled and took it, then slid it back into its sheath. He glanced over at the sorceress to say something, but she had her eyes fixed in thought.

"...What is it?" he asked her.

After a moment, she sucked in a breath and said, "What do you suppose that shadow was protecting?"

The trio exchanged glances, then jogged quickly over to the now open door. Whatever that entity was guarding was probably behind it. Link was the first there. He gripped the handle and carefully turned it. The door swung open with a loud creak. After a final glance into the lake room with the dead tree, they moved inside.

It was a very small, plain room. In the center of the room was a brick altar with a pillow sitting on top of it. Then, the trio caught sight of what was sitting on the pillow.

Three mouths hung open and three pairs of eyes widened.

It was a large, red ruby. It was perfectly spherical in shape and was about the size of a basketball. The color it was giving off was a brilliant red. The ruby was translucent, and looked like a huge, shiny marble.

Lydia gawked. "Oh my God!"

Link stared. "By the fires of Din!"

Gordon took a step forward. "Wow-wow-WOW!"

The young sorcerer was the first there. He bounded up to the alter and looked right through the ruby. He was very tempted to touch it, but his judgement got the better of him. He looked at his sister and friend, who were standing just behind him. "So....what do we do with it?"

Lydia rubbed the back of her neck. "Well, er.... I think Link should have it. After all, he took care of that shadow guy."

Link crossed his arms, snarled visibly, and looked at the ruby as if it contained some infectious death disease. "I don't want it. Many Zoras died because of that damn thing."

The sorceress withdrew and felt very ashamed. "Yeah, I guess. Sorry."

"Well," Gordon hummed, staring at the ruby, "why don't we take it with us? We can worry about what to do with it later. At least that way, no more Zoras will come in here after it."

"I suppose, but I'm not carrying that big thing. Maybe Link will—"

"_NO_." Link cut her off harshly. "I'm _not_ touching it. That thing's more trouble than it's worth."

She cleared her throat and turned back to her brother. "Looks like you're carrying it."

Gordon shrugged, then placed one hand on the ruby. When nothing happened, he rolled it off the alter into his arms. It wasn't as heavy as it looked, but it wasn't exactly light, either.

Lydia reached up and gave Link a sharp pat on the back. "Okay then. Let's move on."

Gordon followed them out, cradling the ruby in one arm. "Where are we going now?"

His sister looked back at him. "There's something on the top floor, remember? We need to check up there now."

As they trailed back through the lake room, Gordon stared down at the huge ruby under his arm. _Maybe Link's right. Maybe this thing is more trouble than it's worth_.


	19. Chapter 19

**_Worlds Apart  
Part II  
By Miss Lydia_****__**

**Chapter 19**

Link pulled himself into the third floor corridor with a grunt. He wasn't in the most pleasant of moods, and wanted to finish off whatever was causing trouble in this temple. In fact, he was ready to go tell Ganondorf a thing or two right _now_.

He raked his fingers through his wet hair and twisted around. Lydia had appeared and was trying to haul herself out of the water. Link grabbed her wrist and pulled her into the hallway. Clinging to her ankle was Gordon. The sorcerer was holding onto his sister with one arm, and holding the huge ruby under the other. Link carefully slipped his hands under Gordon's arms and pulled him in, while being extremely careful not to touch the ruby. He was still standing by his vow not to have anything to do with the thing, and had been going out of his way to avoid even touching it.

Lydia squeezed the water from her hair, then started down the corridor. "Are you guys ready?"

"Of course," Gordon called up to her. "...Hey, do we have any idea what we're supposed to be ready _for_?"

Link and Lydia stopped abruptly and turned around. They looked at the sorcerer, then at each other. "Hey...," Lydia said, "...Squirt's got a point. Do we even know what's behind those doors?"

Link shrugged. "Whatever's in this temple drained the lake and froze Zora's Domain. Does it really matter what it is?"

"No, I guess not."

Gordon shifted the ruby to a more comfortable spot. "Link's right, as usual. I was just curious. I mean, it could be some kind of monster, a minion of Ganondorf's. Perhaps it isn't. Maybe there's just some magical ward that has to be broken instead."

His sister rolled her eyes.  "Come on, G.  Why would Ganondorf put a magical ward here when he could put a _monster _here, instead?  He's too sick for that."

Link looked the sorcerer in the eye. "There's really no way to know yet."

Lydia turned and moved down the corridor again. "The sooner we figure out how to open those doors, the sooner we get that question answered."

The boys looked at each other, then followed.

The two enormous iron doors once again came into view up ahead. The trio stopped in front of them. The doors towered high above their heads and looked very forbidding. They had a strange presense of peace to them, and seemed to have an evil atmosphere at the same time.

The sorceress tapped her toes on the floor. "Well, how do we get in?"

After a moment of silence, Link reached up and knocked on the door loudly, then waited, as if expecting a response.

Lydia laughed at him. "What _are_ you doing, Hyrulean? Do you expect the evil monster to open the door and invite us all in for tea and cookies?"

The Hero of Time raised an eyebrow at her. "We don't know what's in there, right? I was just testing it."

"You really _do_ try everything, don't you?"

Link wasn't really listening to her. Instead, he was gazing at the perfectly round hole in the center of the rightmost door. Lydia glanced over and saw that her brother was doing the same thing. 

"What do you make of it?" Link asked openly.

Gordon looked the hole over, then glanced at the ruby under his arm. "Wait a minute....," He stepped forward without further words. He lifted the ruby and rammed it into the hole. It was a perfect fit. The ruby slid in and sat snugly in the circular lock.

Almost immediately, the room rumbled slightly and the huge iron doors vibrated. Something unhitched, and the iron doors swung inward with a loud groan of rust and age.

The sorcerer balled his hands into fists, jammed them onto his hips, and beamed brightly. Beside him, his sister looked over at Link and pointed at her brother with her thumb.

"Triforce of Wisdom," she said.

"Let's just face it," Gordon said with a cocky tone, "I'm good."

"You're good," Link agreed.

"Shall we move along, then?"

The group took a few steps into the next room, and suddenly, Gordon stopped and stared at the ruby embedded in the right door. Lydia and Link followed his gaze in time to watch it slowly dissolve. Red dust sparkled in a pile on the stone floor. 

Gordon bit his nail, both in astonishment and disappointment. "So much for that,"

Link sighed loudly. "Good. That thing's very presence had my nerves going."

"At least now no more Zoras will come in here." He looked down at the pile of dust on the floor. His face softened and fell. "Still....something like that was probably worth a lot....,"

His sister's arm landed around his shoulders. "I know. Forget it. We have an evil something-or-other to vanquish."

Link cracked his knuckles and adjusted his gauntlets. "Bring it on!"

The room the iron doors had behind them was about half as large as the room the shadow of Link had been in. There was a platform running around the perimeter of the room, then four square platforms near the center. All the rest was a large pool of water.

As soon as they were in, they heard another rumbling and creak behind them. They spun around in time to see the huge iron doors slam shut and lock again.

"With the ruby gone," Lydia guessed, "nothing was holding those doors open."

"Grreeaattt," Gordon moaned. "Now we're locked in here."

They moved ahead and stood next to Link, who was watching the pool of water. His gaze was hard and expectant. "There's something here," he whispered.

Lydia stood next to him and looked the entire room over. The walkway around the perimeter was lined with—what else—iron spikes. Her eyes prodded every wall for a sign of life.

But there was nothing. Just water, lapping quietly against the edges of the platforms.

"....I don't see a thing," she said quietly. She fingered the Sorcerer's Rune nervously. 

Gordon appeared next to her. "Nor I."

The Hylian shook his head gently. "I'm not too sure about it....but it feels like there's something....." He walked forward and leapt to one of the square platforms in the pool. Link dropped down to one knee and stared down into the water.

The sorcerers looked at each other questioningly, then followed.

Link stood up to meet them, then shook his head. "I don't see anything, but I can't shake the feeling that we're not alone in here."

Lydia absently tugged at her earring and looked around the room. "We're probably _not_ alone, if this place follows the pattern of all the other crap we've dealt with."

Gordon glanced about. "Maybe a spirit of some kind....?" 

He looked over at Link for an answer, and saw the Hylian stiffen. Holding completely still and silent, his eyes darted back and forth. Every nerve ending in his body was screaming at him.

The sorceress saw, too. "Link?"

"Shh...." Link raised one hand. "I can hear it...."

The sorcerers moved close to him and prepared themselves for whatever was in the room with them, without the knowledge of who or _what_ it was.

After a moment of nerve-wracking silence, Link spoke very quietly. "When I give the word, jump back to the outer edge of the room as quickly as you can."

Lydia felt like she'd explode from the horrible fear she was feeling of the unknown. What was coming for them? How will they defeat it?

Link's shout knocked her back into alertness. "_Now!_"

For the first moment, the sorceress forgot how to move. Link paused long enough to shove her, to get her started – she ran and leapt off the platform, next to her brother, toward the outer walkway. As the sorcerers landed safely by the door, they heard Link cry out, then there was a thud.

The sorcerers spun around in the blink of an eye. Link was still on the platform in the center of the pool, sprawled out on his stomach. He was digging his fingers into the tiles of the floor – something was pulling him. He flew up in the air, upside down. Whatever it was had a good hold on his ankle.

It was a huge tentacle, made of water. It had wormed its way from the water pool and tried to sneak up on them. If Link hadn't felt it coming, it would have gotten all three of them. It was only able to snag _him_, and was now swinging him around by his leg.

Lydia's chest felt like it was caving in. _It wouldn't have gotten him if I had just moved faster!_

Gordon appeared next to her and swung his arm back to throw a spell, but Lydia caught his wrist. "Don't! Link's up there, too!"

The tentacle reared back and threw Link, screaming, across the room, where he slammed into the far wall. Again showing his incredible stamina, he was on his feet in seconds and had his sword drawn. The tentacle receded and sunk back into the depths of the pool, blending with the rest of the water.

The sorcerers darted around the perimeter of the room until they reached him. The trio stood together and watched another tentacle, larger this time, rise from the very center of the water. 

Lydia edged up to Link's shoulder. "What _is_ that thing?"

"No idea," Link replied. "It doesn't look like it has an obvious weak spot, either. How are we supposed to—" He stopped midsentence and stared at the water with sudden realization.

Gordon leaned over and asked, "What is it?"

"_Now_ I get it!!" Link watched the tentacle sway back and forth, slowly getting closer to them. "Like I said before, the Zoras aren't a greedy race. They'd never come in here after that ruby just for its worth. They _knew_ it was the key to get at this monster! They wanted to fix their home! They didn't want to wait for the legend to come true. They didn't want to wait for the Hero of Time to come and do it!"

"So they came in themselves and were killed while trying to find the key – the ruby!" Gordon looked at Link and Lydia with new motivation reflecting in his green eyes. "We're the first ones to get this far!"

Link twirled the Master Sword in his hands. "Those brave Zoras must be avenged!"

Lydia rubbed her hands together and snarled at the water monster. "Let's do it!"

The trio split off. Link and Gordon ran over to one side – Lydia to the other. The tentacle followed the sorceress to her side of the room.

"Guys, stand back!" she shouted to the other side of the room. "I've wanted to do this since we set foot in this temple!" The water tentacle wobbled back and forth and reared back to grab her. "_Deliver O Wind, at my command, the power of lighting into my hand!_" The tentacle started down on her and took hold of her waist, then lifted her up into the air. 

"Played right into my trap, sucker!" she shouted cockily at it. "**Digger Volt!!**"

The electricity sparked from her arms, legs, and waist, traveled down the tentacle, and spread across the entire pool of water. The tentacle actually made noise then – a nasty sounding moan and shriek – then it started flailing back and forth, throwing the sorceress away. 

"**Levitation!**"

After landing softly next to the wide-eyed boys, she slapped her hands on her hips. "Was that great, or what?"

"Now _that_—," Gordon said with a smile, "—was cheese."

Lydia shrugged in a 'whatever' sort of way.

Link couldn't help but laugh as he watched the tentacle sway back and forth as the electricity continued to spark all over the water. "That was pretty sneaky."

"Sneaky is my middle name," the sorceress said. Her smile disappeared suddenly. "Hey...do you see that?"

As the lighting started to die down, something started massing near the bottom of the pool. Particles of material in the water gathered together into a basketball-sized round object. The red and blue colored ball swirled around for a moment as the tentacle that had grabbed Lydia fell apart and landed back in the water. The ball "swam" over to the trio's end of the room, and a new tentacle formed. As it reached up out of the water, the ball swam right up into the tentacle and hung there.

Link tensed. "That must be its core!"

The tentacle reared back and swung down, slamming into only tile floor – the group had jumped in different directions to avoid it.

Gordon was on his feet in seconds. "That's what we aim for! Go for the core!"

The group split apart again. The two sorcerers fired many times at the round nucleus of the monster, but all the spells were blocked or absorbed by the water surrounding it. Link shot his arrows, but the water just caught them and sucked them in, like some kind of horror movie blob.

"That core's gotta come OUT if we're gonna hit it!" Lydia shouted, backing away from the pool. "As long as it's in there, it's well defended!"

Gordon watched the tentacle swing at Link, who easily jumped out of its path. "How could we get it out...?" Then, an idea struck him, just like the tentacle was about to. He jumped out of the way – a near miss – and waved to Link. "Can you snag it with something?"

"Well, I have an idea how," the Hylian shouted back, standing protectively in front of Lydia as the tentacle came close, "but it won't work while this thing is moving so much!"

Lydia looked around Link's shoulder. "Why don't you ask it _really_ nicely to stand still?"

Link twisted his neck and looked back at her, then smiled evilly. "Why don't _you_ distract it?" With those words, he dug something out from under his shield, threw it to Gordon, then ran off somewhere to the side. 

The sorceress stood there, no longer hidden behind the Hylian. She felt very exposed as the tentacle swayed in front of her. "Oh boy. _Distract_ it? What am I supposed to do...?"

The water tentacle shuddered in the pool. It's red and blue nucleus hovered inside, silently taunting her.

Lydia breathed in deeply, hoping to draw a little extra courage from somewhere in the air, then started shouting.

"Hey, tall, slimy, and gross!" she yelled at the monster. 

It stilled completely and seemed to stare at her with unseen eyes.

"You sorry excuse for a booger!" she continued ranting. She jumped around tauntingly. "You couldn't catch a cold! Too slow!" The tentacle swung down at her, but she easily avoided it. "Do you expect to kill me? Ha! You couldn't kill _time_ if you wanted to!"

The nucleus stopped moving completely. Likewise, the tentacle seemed to freeze in place. It towered above the cocky sorceress, as if anticipating the kill it was planning to make. Time to shut her mouth once and for all.

Lydia had never asked nicely, but the thing _was_ finally standing still.

From the left side of the room came one of Link's ice arrows. The blue-coated projectile struck the base of the tentacle. The monster shrieked as the ice creeped up to the top and held the whole thing taunt. 

From the right side of the room, the sharp end of the Hookshot broke through the coating of ice and plunged into the core. At the other end of the chain was Gordon. With a flick of his wrist, the chain retracted, and the core was pulled out of the frozen tentacle, where it plopped down on the floor at the sorcerer's feet. He unhooked his flail from his belt, swung it in circle by the chain, then brought it down hard on the core. 

The large nucleus buckled under the swing of the spiked ball, then bounced back into shape with a shriek. It began to bounce away frantically, trying to get back into the pool. Gordon swung his flail like a tennis racket, and managed to knock it away from the water, into the nearby wall. It bounced off the wall, and away, toward the farther corner of the pool, to try to get in again. 

There, it was met by Link and his Master Sword. He swung down at it vertically, but the thing did a quick side-roll, and the sword hit the tiles.

"Why you little—!"

He lifted the sword slightly and swung sideways at it, just narrowly missing it as it leapt back into the pool of water and disappeared.

"Damn!"

He ran off to join the sorcerers. Clustered by the door, the trio watched the pool intently, waiting for something to happen. They weren't disappointed. 

Right away, the nucleus reappeared near the surface, in the very center of the room. A huge tentacle formed, and the core moved up inside.

"Hmph. Same old thing," Lydia scoffed.

As if responding to her, a second tentacle formed next to the first. And then another, and another, and another, until the room was littered with them.

The adventurers pressed their backs against the wall. They were greatly outnumbered now, and the tentacle containing the core was in the center of the mess, where it would not be easily attacked. They swirled around each other, all the while clustering closer to their attackers, determined to finish them off.

Lydia cleared her throat briskly. "I can't distract ALL of them this time, I hope you know."

All at once, the tentacles attacked. Link and the sorcerers ran in separate directions, trying to avoid them, dodging this way and that. Link swung his sword, and the sorcerers fired spells. Gordon even threw a good-sized fireball, but the water in the room just neutralized the spell. Eventually, all three of them had water tentacles wrapped around their bodies and were lifted from the ground. The tentacles raised them high, but didn't swing or throw them. They just held the trio up there, near the ceiling. The three tentacles that held them moved to the center of the room, where the others gathered and circled around them, shrieking something awful.

"So!" Lydia shouted, kicking her legs. She looked over at her brother, who was also squirming around. "Any ideas?" Gordon shook his head, then continued trying to wrench himself free. The sorceress turned to Link. "What about you, Hero?"

Link's eyes darted back and forth. Below him, the other water tentacles circled and swarmed together. He searched for the one that held the core. There were too many – he just couldn't spot it. He lifted his head and found Gordon.

"Try that spell you used when we defeated Volvagia!" he shouted to him.

Gordon thought back for a moment, and recalled the spell he had used. Ice traveled across the floor like a spider web, then up Volvagia's front legs, which had been clamped to the ground.

"The Van Rehl?" he shouted back. "Not in the position we're in, unless you don't mind being frozen solid along with these things!"

"I have an idea!" Lydia shouted, kicking at the closest tentacle. "If we can't freeze the water, we can vaporize it!"

Link awkwardly swung his sword at a nearby tentacle, slashing right through it. "Maybe...that really big spell you used in the Ice Cavern...!"

Gordon's eyes widened as his tentacle swung him around slightly. "The Burst Flare!"

Lydia mumbled a spell under her breath, then looked up fiercely. "First chance I get, these things will be toasted!"

The tentacles held them in the air for a few more moments, then began to swing them around violently. The water seemed to moan and yell as a whole. The shrieking sound was awful – if exposed to the sound for a long period of time, a man would go mad. The surrounding tentacles circled faster and faster, then all at once, the three in the center slammed their three attackers together hard. The tentacles watched with unseen eyes as the one in the center recovered quickly, grabbed hold of the other two, and shouted something.

"**Flare Seal!**"

The three tentacles in the center pulled them apart and continued swinging them in circles, preparing to smash them against the wall and destroy them. They had been enough of an annoyance. 

All the while, the one in the center kept making noise. "_Source of all power, crimson fire burning bright! Let thy power gather in my hand and become an inferno!_"

The tentacles all shrieked at once, ready to kill.

"**_Burst Flare!!_**"

***

Ruto shifted her weight – her feet were getting tired from standing around for so long. She had been standing at the edge of the dried Lake Hylia for quite some time now, all the while afraid for the safety of her fiancé, who was risking himself in there.

Serious worry had set in a long time before. She began pacing back and forth impatiently.

"They shouldn't be taking this long," she said aloud. "Could something have happened? I really hope that dear Link is all right. The sorcerers too, the boy and the girl. I don't know—"

Her thoughts were interrupted by a rumbling from inside the water temple. A terrible explosion followed. Ruto ran to the edge of the lake and gazed down at the temple's entrance. 

There was a rush of heat, and then the water around the entrance started boiling. What little was left of the water in the lake began to drain completely – it was all evaporating into the air. Once the lake was fully dry, huge flames and smoke continued to pour out of the iron gates that had once been blocking the temple entrance.

The Zora princess, gaping in horror, watched until the flames had burned themselves out, leaving only the smoke. "Wh..What the...?!" Her fear for her fiancé and the two humans from another world grew to an extreme. Whatever happened in there...there was no way any of them were still alive after that. 

Even so, she continued to wait. She continued to watch and wait, her hope diminishing with each passing minute.

***

Back inside the temple, the three floors of water was now completely dried out. All the water that had once filled the area was hanging near the ceiling in a heavy mist of vapor. The Zora skeletons scattered in the traps had been burned to dust and ash, thereby given their final peace. Through the corridor on the third floor, through two huge iron doors, which had been blown completely off their hinges, a large pool of water was dry and empty. Sitting in the bottom were a Hylian and two humans, laughing amongst themselves about the victory.

"That'll teach them to mess with the Hyrulean Heroes!" Lydia laughed, looking up at the huge cloud of mist at the ceiling that had just before been the water tentacles.

Link waved the surrounding smoke away from his face. He didn't say anything, but kept his eyes on the vapor hanging to the ceiling.

Gordon brushed the dust and soot from his jeans. "So, the monster's been destroyed. Now what? Do you suppose the lake is restored? What about the Zoras?"

Lydia stood up, coughing from the smoke. "We won't find out sitting here. Let's get out of this place. I'll be happy to leave it behind."

Gordon flew up and out of the empty pool and stood on the outer platform, near the destroyed iron doors. Lydia hung back, stroking the pink ribbon tied to the hilt of her longsword. 

"Yeah," she whispered to herself. "I still have a promise to keep." She sucked in a breath and turned to Link. "Come on, Hero, let's get out of here."

Link didn't reply. He didn't even hear her. He just kept his eyes glued on the mist at the ceiling. 

Lydia strolled over and flicked the tip of his ear. "Hello? Link? Let's go! I know you don't want to stay."

Link looked up at her, then at the mist, then at her again. "Yeah...yeah, let's leave." He stood up slowly and let Lydia grasp his wrist. She flew them out of the pool, and together, they started walking through the now reopened doorway. Scattered in their path were pieces of debris and chunks of the wall that had fallen off in the flames. They sidestepped everything and kept moving forward – 

Until Link stopped and perked his ears up.

The sorcerers had learned to recognize that body language. Something wasn't right.

Something grabbed Lydia and dragged her back, screaming. Link reacted quickly and grabbed her arm, then pulled hard. Gordon grabbed the other arm. A game of tug-of-war began with a really large water tentacle on the other side. It had risen out of the empty pool and come after them. The mist at the ceiling was condensing, and raining back into the empty hole, slowly refilling it. The core reappeared and swam up into the tentacle that had a hold of the sorceress's waist. It shrieked with the revenge it wanted.

Lydia glanced over her shoulder. There weren't dozens of tentacles this time. Just the one, although it was larger than any so far. "I don't believe it! How did it survive a Burst Flare that was fired right in its face??"

The tentacle wrenched her arms from the boys' grips, and swung her up high. It repeatedly slammed her against the ceiling, determined to make the death slow and painful. 

Gordon was at the edge of the pool almost instantly. "**Freeze Bleed!**" The ball of ice struck the tentacle at the base, freezing it. But it broke out quickly and began swinging around and shrieking. It swung Lydia down near the floor and used her to slam her brother away and into the wall.

Link watched it all in horror as it kept on slamming the sorceress into walls and the surrounding platforms, trying to kill her. It wanted revenge for that little spell she had used on it. 

The nucleus changed colors back and forth, then started charging with electricity. No more playing around with the girl it had in its clutches. Time to destroy her. 

As he watched, Link heard her voice in his head again.

_Just…promise me.  Promise me that you'll always be there to protect me._

Link screamed with anger, and the power of the Triforce of Courage flared up. The mark appeared on his forehead and filled the room with light. In seconds, he had the Master Sword out and was holding it by the blade, which was shimmering brightly with power. With a shout, he heaved the sword with all his might. 

It plunged into the tentacle, and through the core. The power of the Triforce of Courage carried the sword all the way through the tentacle, and helped it fly across the room. The sword's tip stuck in the tiles of the wall and hung there, several feet off the ground. Impaled about halfway down the blade's length was the core, squirming in agony.

The tentacle stopped moving and hung in midair. Lydia, seeing her chance, tried to get out of its grasp, but even without its core to control it, it kept its tight grip.

Below her, Gordon was already moving. The sorcerer was running along the perimeter of the room toward where the Master Sword had stuck in the wall. As he ran, the Triforce of Wisdom flared, and the mark glimmered on his forehead. When he got close, he cast the levitation spell and got high enough to grab the handle of the Master Sword. Then, the Triforce of Wisdom released its power.

Yellow-colored energy flared up from his palms and swirled around the sword, then traveled down the length of the blade, where it hit the nucleus. The thing shrieked loudly and shuddered violently as its power was drained. Then, it disintegrated into little fragments and fell down to the floor, where it melted into nothing.

Back in the pool, the water tentacle lost its tenacity and fell apart. All the water swirled around in a column that extended up to the ceiling. The ceiling was soon coated with water as the pool emptied. The water on the ceiling slowly condensed into one big drop in the center, which fell back into the empty pool and disappeared. 

The mark of the Triforce of Courage slowly dimmed and vanished, and Link's hair fell back into place. He quickly moved to the edge of the pool and looked down inside. Lydia was sitting in the center of the empty pool. Dazed and bruised, but otherwise all right, she looked back up at him and waved one of her sore arms.

"And another one bites the dust!" she shouted.

In record time, Link was down in the empty pool and helping her stand. "Are you all right?" he asked, his forehead wrinkled with worry.

"I feel like I was just beaten up by a large booger," she replied with a smile, "but I think I'm fine." She reached up and patted his shoulder. "....Thanks. I really don't know what to say besides that."

Link had one of those aw-shucks smiles on his face. "That's all I need."

The sorceress turned and looked up to find her brother. She saw him up on the wall. He was holding the handle of the sword and had his feet planted up on the wall. He grimaced as he tried to yank it free of the tiles. It was pretty well wedged in there, though.

"Hey!" she shouted. "You were really cool! Thanks!"

Gordon let go of the sword with one hand and waved it. "I don't think you deserved it, but I helped save you anyway. You _should_ thank me!" He gave the Master Sword a hard yank, and it slipped free, sending the sorcerer tumbling back to the perimeter platform.

Lydia pressed her lips together. "You little worm. You're just _begging_ to get pounded!"

The sorcerer jumped down and joined them. "I don't have to ask. You like to pound me in any case." He smiled at her. "You're welcome." He then handed Link the sword. "So....what now?"

Something began humming behind them. When they turned around, they saw a familiar circle of blue light. The same thing had appeared after Volvagia was defeated. It had taken Link to the Chamber of the Sages to meet with Darunia, the Sage of Fire.

Link's eyed dulled as he moved toward it. "That's my cue. Time to go meet the Water Sage."

Lydia shook her head and took hold of his arm. "Oh, no. That's _our_ cue," she corrected. "You're not going without us this time."

Gordon appeared on her other side. "The three of us are a team, after all."

"Of course," Link replied. "Let's go then. I want to leave this place and never come back."

"You're not the only one."

The three stepped into the blue ring of light, were encased in a blue crystal of energy, and vanished into thin air.

***

Link remembered this place well. This was his third visit to the Chamber of Sages. The sorcerers, on the other hand, had never seen it before, and were visibly fascinated by their surroundings. They stood on a large Triforce platform and were surrounded by six other platforms of various colors. They appeared to be large medallions of Light, Fire, Water, Forest, Shadow, and Spirit. 

The blue medallion platform of Water started glowing with the ring of blue light, and the Sage of Water rose up to meet them.

Everyone's jaw dropped.

"_You!_" Lydia said in surprise and awe.

Princess Ruto smiled at them. "Dear Link," she said quietly, "there is nothing I could ever do that would fully demonstrate the extent of my gratitude. My thanks also go to your two friends. Because you destroyed the evil monster that inhabited the Water Temple, Zora's Domain and the other Zoras will return to their original state." She fluttered her fins proudly. "As a token of my thanks, I grant my eternal love to you."

Lydia, still clinging to Link's arm like a child, could feel him stiffen. She looked up at him and saw him swallow hard. She had an idea of what he was thinking. Out of respect for Ruto, she let go of his arm and stood quietly. This is just something he had to deal with on his own.

"At least," Ruto added quietly, "that's what I'd _like _to say. I'm afraid I can't offer that now."

Link slowly let out the breath he had been holding.

"I must stay here as the Water Sage," she continued. "I regret that I cannot spend the rest of my life with you, as I've long hoped to."

"I..I..um...," Link was trying to think of something to say, but the situation was so awkward. What _could_ he say to her?

"All I want," Ruto said, "is a promise from you. Promise me that you will restore Hyrule. Promise me that Ganon will be defeated."

Link straightened up and let his eyes beam. "That's a promise that I made to the people of Hyrule long ago, and to myself. In addition, I personally promise it to you."

"Thank you. I expected no less from you. Also, Mr. Gordon? Will you promise me to keep a leash on that sister of yours?"

Gordon sniggered loudly and nodded. Lydia snarled, but kept otherwise silent.

The Zora turned her head and met Lydia's eyes. "May I also ask a promise of you?"

Lydia raised an eyebrow and glanced over at her brother, who only shrugged. "_Me_? What do you ask of _me_? Well, okay, but only if I can be without the leash."

"As a fellow woman," Ruto continued, "I've noticed your feelings. I can read the signs. So, I expect that asking this promise from you is not too much. Will you please promise me one thing – promise me that you will take care of dear Link for me."

That was the _last_ thing the sorceress had expected to hear, especially from her. For the first moment, she didn't even react. Her mouth gaped open, and she turned to Link. His face was turned away in a sorry attempt to hide the fact that he was blushing horribly. Gordon was smiling to himself. "You can handle that, right, Lydia?" he asked her quietly, still keeping the sly smile on his face.

Lydia turned back and tried to look macho, clearing her throat. "Um, yes, I can promise you that." She reached up and playfully ruffled Link's hair. "I'll keep him out of trouble."

Ruto smiled at her. "Thank you so much, I know you will have no problems." Her smile disappeared slowly and her face wrinkled to shame. "..I...I'm sorry I acted like I hated you before...it was very childish."

"You _did_ hate me," she replied with a laugh. "What's to be sorry for?"

The Zora smiled again. "I'm so glad you understand." Her face turned serious again. "One more thing I will do for you is to utilize the power that was keeping the lake empty to strengthen your own force."

Gordon nudged his sister with his elbow. "Just like before. Remember after Volvagia's defeat, our power grew?"

Lydia nodded wordlessly, and kept listening.

The Zora princess looked truly happy. "Thank you all. I never will be able to thank you enough for saving my race."

The three felt the ground disappear from beneath their feet, and everything went white. Ruto's voice echoed at them from the distance. "Please keep your promises to me."

***

In the sky, the sun was beginning to head westward, preparing to set and let the darkness loose. A sound was heard in Lake Hylia – a sound that broke the silence and solitude. It was a sound of rushing water. Slowly, sparkling clear water filled the bottom of the lake, and as time slowly passed, the water level rose. 

A blue column of light dropped from the sky and landed on an elevated Triforce platform on the center island. From it, three forms appeared. One of them immediately dashed away from the other two, and at the sight of the lake filling, began jumping and carrying on.

"We did it!" Lydia shouted happily. "We did it we did it we _did it_! Look! The lake's refilling!"

Link and Gordon ran to her side and gazed excitedly down into the now not-so-empty Lake Hylia. Crystal clear blue water slowly filled the dusty hole that they had sadly grown used to. The ugly brown clouds that had always hung over the lake were dispersing and being replaced by white clouds and gorgeous blue sky.

"_Yay!_" Lydia continued. She jumped up and down, then ran in circles around the two boys in her excitement. "We rock! We roll! We went on to smite evil and won the day for the forces of good!" She shook her fists in the air as she ran. "Chew on _that_, Ganon! Whoo-hoo!"

Link sighed happily. "We've taken another step toward peace in Hyrule."

"We're really on a roll," Gordon said with a wide smile. "All we have to do is keep up the pace."

"There's so much more ahead of us yet.... But I think we can worry about it later. Let's not ruin Lydia's fun."

Gordon glanced over at his sister, who was now doing cartwheels around the island. "I don't think _anything_ could ruin this for her."

The two looked over the lake, which was completely filled now. All was as it was meant to be, once again.

Later on that day, close to sunset, the two boys were back at the house in Kakariko. Lydia wanted to hang around the lake for a while longer, so they left her behind. That was a few hours before, and she still hadn't returned.

"What's taking her?" Link wondered aloud, staring out the window. He absently smoothed the wrinkles from his green tunic.

"Beats me," Gordon replied. He was stretched out on his bed, enjoying this time of peace. "She enjoys the lake – she always has. Maybe she's off doing some serious thinking."

"For this long? She doesn't think _that_ much, does she?" 

"Oh, you'd be surprised. Especially given the current situation."

"...Hmm?"

"Don't you remember what happened in the temple?"

"...Oh...yeah...." Link remembered all right.  _Didn't you even stop to think about how I'd feel about that?_

Gordon rolled over to face the window. "You know, I think you should go talk to her. I mean, you probably will never catch her in a better mood."

"Perhaps you're right." He sat on his bed and slipped his boots back on. "Yeah, I'm gonna go." He stood, strapped on his sword out of habit, and opened the door. "Don't wait up," he said before disappearing.

The sorcerer stretched, cracked everything, then laid back. "Honestly. Can't those two do _anything_ without me?"

***

Link climbed off Epona and rubbed her nose, then looked up ahead. He looked past the shadows of the late-day sun, past the beautiful lake water, to the island. He could see Lydia sitting on the ground, leaning on the tree, watching the sun go down. 

He crossed the bridges, and once on the island, mustered up whatever courage he had left within him. This was going to be really tough. 

Lydia glanced over her shoulder, and seeing him, she smiled, then turned back to the sun. Link strolled up beside her and cleared his throat nervously.

"...Is this seat taken?" he asked, gesturing to the spot on the grass next to her.

The sorceress chuckled quietly. "My dignity was going to sit there, but it's been a no-show all day."

Link sat down next to her and leaned against the tree. "I almost forgot how beautiful this lake was," he said after a few moments.

"Yeah," she replied with a sigh of awe.

Silence took over again, save for the birds chirping in the distance. The silence didn't help with the awkwardness. Both of them were thinking about the same thing.

"So," Link tried to start, "...um..well..."

Lydia laughed. "Yeah, I know what you mean."

Link reached up and rubbed his arm nervously. "Uh, listen. About...about...what happened in the temple."

The sorceress stiffened visibly. She knew what he was talking about. "Yeah...that doesn't have to mean anything, okay? I mean, I don't know what I was thinking. It must have been a spur of the moment thing..." She cut it off there.

"You're not sure about that though, are you?"

".....You're right, I'm not, I admit it. But why don't we just forget it? It was kinda stupid anyway. That's what I meant when I said my dignity was gone."

"I think you still have your dignity, and it wasn't stupid. And I can't just forget it."

"My mouth is way too big, that's all."

The silence overtook the lake again, until Link finally spoke. "Why didn't you say anything until today?"

Lydia pulled her legs up to her chest. "Because the whole thing was dumb. We're not even from the same world. So I just kept quiet, to keep it simple. Plus, I knew you didn't feel the same way, so keeping my mouth closed was the best thing."

Link swallowed hard. Time to let it out. "Well, I dunno...you might be wrong about that."

She glanced up at him with confused, but hopeful eyes. "I might?"

He only shrugged. "You might."

The sorceress looked back at the sun. "I...I see..."

The distant birds were slowly replaced by owl calls as the sky dimmed. Under the desolate single tree of the beautiful, restored lake, the Hero of Time slipped his arm around his companion's shoulders. In response, she sighed with defeat and rested her head on his shoulder. Together, they watched the lazy sun slowly dip below the western horizon of Hyrule and out of sight, letting the stars come out to twinkle happily.


	20. Chapter 20

**_Worlds Apart  
Part II  
By Miss Lydia_****__**

**Chapter 20**

Just hours before sunset, an dark figure stood at the southern window of Ganon's Tower, gazing south. He knew that those annoying kids were at the lake, and he knew they were messing around. But he wasn't too worried. After all, he'd set tons of traps in there. The traps had already snared many Zoras, and now that Hylian kid was in there among them. 

Ganondorf chuckled to himself. _The kid's practically sacrificing himself by going there_. _Oh well, it saves me the trouble_. The Evil King was quite happy about this. Once that Hylian got himself killed, the Triforce of Courage would be his for the taking. Then, with Zelda's Triforce of Wisdom, he'd have full control of the Triforce, then Hyrule.

Needless to say, knowing this, Ganondorf was in an unusually good mood.

Until the water monster was destroyed. As Ganondorf watched from his perch in the window of the tower, he saw the same yellow column of light rise from the distant south, past the field. The Triforce of Courage was releasing its power again. The same thing had happened when those annoying pests destroyed Volvagia.

Ganondorf snarled angrily. _That means the kid is still alive! Damn it all!_ The good mood diminished as the column of Triforce power slowly disappeared. The Evil King gritted his teeth. So much for getting that Triforce piece right away.

And then, the unthinkable happened. There was another flash from the south just moments later. As second column of yellow power rose from the lake area. Ganondorf's mouth fell open, and he gripped the windowsill with both hands. That wasn't the Triforce of Courage again! That was....

_The Triforce of Wisdom!_

Ganondorf twisted his neck frantically, hoping that Zelda was somehow no longer in her crystal prison. He hoped that she had simply escaped and was with them. But she was still there, and she was terrified. She had seen the power burst, too.

At the sudden realization, Ganondorf looked south again, then tightened his grip on the windowsill slowly. The bricks between his fingers cracked and snapped apart into little fragments of dust. He whirled around and sulked over to the crystal Zelda was sealed into, still holding pieces of brick in his fists. His eyes burned into hers as she looked back at him. The look on her face only confirmed his suspicions.

She had tricked him. He had been tricked by a little girl.

"_You don't have it! The Triforce of Wisdom! You haven't had it this whole time!_" Ganondorf shrieked loudly, throwing the brick fragments at the crystal. "You gave it to one of that kid's magic-user friends, _didn't you_?? Why, you little wench! I'll have your head for this!"

Zelda pressed her back against the crystal wall. Her decoy plan had fallen to pieces. The princess was angry with herself that she couldn't stall him any longer. And now, this evil man would kill her.

The fire that sparked between Ganondorf's hands _was_ originally meant to kill the princess, but slowly, the Evil King's sneer curled into an evil smile, and the magic disappeared. 

"Wait...," he said, mostly to himself. "This will still work." He began pacing back and forth. "Those kids won't forget about you. Not a chance in hell. If I kill you now, they won't come, and I won't be able to get those Triforce pieces easily. But, if I leave you alive, they'll come for you. They'll come right to me." He laughed to himself. "Then, those three will meet their deaths, and I will have the full Triforce."

Princess Zelda's face was damp with tears. _He's right. They'll come for sure, and he'll be waiting!_

"But...," the Gerudo leader continued, "I'm growing impatient. I had better send a messenger to speed up their progress." 

He raised his hands and loudly snapped his fingers. A woman ran in and bowed down in front of him, her eyes glowing red.

"Nabooru," Ganondorf said, "I want you to once again find those meddlers. They have _two_ of the Triforce pieces."

The Gerudo warrior raised her red eyes. "Two, m'Lord?"

"Two, yes. I want you to go to them again. If you can simply kill them, fine. Just be prompt in delivering the Triforce pieces to me. However, should you fail in killing them, as you have many times already, deliver a message instead. Tell those pests that I still have their precious princess, and if they want to see her alive again, they must surrender their pieces of the Triforce to me."

Nabooru rose and bowed her way out. "Right away, my Lord." In another moment, she was gone.

Ganondorf laughed quietly and turned to face Zelda, who looked both terrified and angry at the same time. "You're my ticket to the Triforce, girl," he said. "Stick around for a while longer." 

Zelda sneered at him. "You will never win, evil man. They will protect the Triforce pieces they have. The Triforce of Wisdom is safer with them than it was with me, and you know that. They will never give them to you."

"Oh, yes, perhaps. That is, until they die, which will be quite soon, I promise." The Evil King turned and left the room, cape flowing and laugh echoing off the walls. 

Left alone in her crystal, Zelda shook with terror and anger. "They _won't_ give up the Triforces of Courage and Wisdom. They _won't_ let Ganondorf win. I know it."

But the princess still wasn't satisfied. Ganondorf had been right – Link and the sorcerers would indeed come to her rescue, and may end up getting hurt. Or worse. Zelda knew she couldn't let that happen. She began to plot in the solitude of her cell. It was time to plot an escape. 

"Link, can I borrow your dagger?"

"What for? Planning to take care of me once and for all?"

"My hair was butchered yesterday, just in case you forgot, and the ends are a mess. I just wanna trim them off so I don't look like some kind of animal."

"It's too late to prevent that..."

"......I'll let that one slide if you give me the knife. _Now_."

Link laughed to himself from his place on the bed, then slipped his hand into his right boot and withdrew his small dagger. Impatiently, Lydia held her hand out, and waved it slightly. The Hylian handed the knife to her, then gazed out of the window.

Lydia turned around in her chair and looked in the small mirror on the table. She pulled all of her hair out in front, then slowly began slicing off the ruined ends.

"What do you think is taking Gordon so long?" she heard Link ask.

The sorceress shrugged. "He went all the way to Zora Fountain to check on the Zoras, and their state is going to determine when he'll be back. If they're still frozen, he should have been back by now. If they're all right, he'll be talking to them, meaning he'll be back later. Just be patient."

He got off the bed and walked to the window, then stared through it thoughtfully. "…I hope the Zoras are okay."

"We trashed the monster that was keeping them frozen. Ruto said they'd be okay. And...I never thought I'd say this...but I trust what she said."

Link smiled. "You're probably right."

Lydia trimmed off the last of the split ends of her hair, and carelessly flipped all of it back behind her shoulders. She glanced over at Link. He was still looking out the window, and was impatiently drumming his fingers on the windowsill. 

"Tell you what," she said, "as soon as Gordon gets back, we'll go to Kokiri Forest. Okay? Now, _please_ relax. You're making _me_ nervous."

"That's pretty easy to do, I've noticed."

"Har har. Sit down and be quiet."

Link crossed the room and sat in the other of the table's chairs. Neither of them said anything for several moments. The Hylian's mind was stuck on the Kokiri. He was anxious to get there and free them of the monsters. They were all right for now, and that was the only thing that had kept Link in this house all morning.

Lydia, however, was thinking about something much more serious. 

"......I..," she began, "..I had that dream again last night."

Link snapped out of his thoughts and looked up at her. "You mean....that really bad one...from the other night?"

The sorceress nodded. 

The Hylian sighed worriedly. That was a bad sign – her having that horrible nightmare more than once. That told him that it definitely meant something. He remembered what happened the first time. He remembered how she was awake so suddenly, screaming and sobbing.

"It was the same thing again," Lydia continued. "I was helpless. I just _watched_ myself hurt Gordon and then _kill_ you. Then that annoying prophesy came again at the end."

Link nodded. He had it memorized by then. "_Allies will fall, evil will rise. When all seems lost, the last resort will fail. Only the power of all will defeat the evil. Ultimate power will restore the land._"

"It's not very promising at all. It sounds like really bad things will be happening soon. Plus, that dream is really beginning to scare me." She bit her lip and looked across the table at Link. "Just...be careful around me okay?"

Link smiled, then reached over and squeezed her hand firmly. "Don't worry. Everything will turn out fine. Things have a way of working out. And, like we said yesterday, your brother and I will stand by you, no matter what.

Her eyes softened. "And like _I_ said yesterday, that really means a lot."

Silence fell over the room again. Time stood still as they waited. Lydia began squirming around in her chair, and Link was finger-drumming the table. Finally, the sorceress stood up.

"_Okay, okay_," she said with a huff, "we'll go now. I just need to get out of this house!"

Link jumped up and followed her to the door. "I thought you wanted to wait."

"_You_ didn't, and apparently, you're contagious. I wanna go."

"What about Gordon?"

"We'll meet him halfway. Even if we don't see him coming back, Zora's Domain is on the way. We can just pick him up. Let's go."

Within minutes, they were leaving Kakariko. Link pushed Epona up to speed; Lydia sailed alongside them. Both were feeling pretty good. Everything Ganondorf had thrown at them so far was a failure. They felt unstopable, and had no doubts that they could save the Kokiri.

_And somewhere along the way_, Lydia thought, _we'll save Nabooru_.

Gordon had flown south early that morning and touched down in Zora Fountain near midmorning. He saw the Zoras immediately, alive and well. They were just crawling out of the partially melted fountain when he arrived. King Zora was first out, and he saw Gordon immediately. The fat King was smart enough to make a connection, and thanked the sorcerer on the spot. This was the second time that kid Link and the two sorcerers had saved the Zora race, and they were all very grateful to them.

The young sorcerer immediately told the story of the previous day. He told the Zoras all about what happened in the Water Temple, and all about Princess Ruto.

And now, Gordon was standing in King Zora's throne room, saying his goodbyes.

"Do me a favor, young hero!" the King bellowed. "Give my thanks to your sister and the Hylian boy! If you ever want anything, just ask for it, and the Zoras will be happy to deliver."

"Of course, sir," the sorcerer replied with a smile. "And we'll keep moving. Hyrule will be peaceful again soon, I'm sure of it."

"As am I!" The King shouted after him as he left.

Gordon walked through Zora's Domain toward the exit. Every Zora he passed clapped him on the back and thanked him again, and all asked him to thank the other two on their behalf. The sorcerer smiled to himself as he jumped through the waterfall to Zora's River. Another great obstacle has been overcome, and another race is safe and happy. Things were looking up.

He took flight from the natural bridges and flew due west. Zora's River glittered a short distance below him as he neared Hyrule Field. What a beautiful place Hyrule was. He swooped down lower, near the field's tree tops. He brushed the leaves of one with his hands as he flew over and past it. 

Suddenly, something tightened around his left ankle and stopped him in midair. Twisting his neck around in surprise, he saw the noose of a rope coiled around his leg. The other end of the rope disappeared into the leaves of the tree he had just flown over. Slowly, the rope seemed to decend down the length of the tree. Whoever was at the other end was climbing down.

Gordon tried to yank himself away, jerking the rope in several directions, but the other end held. A figure emerged at the bottom of the tree and gave the rope a good, hard pull. The sorcerer was yanked right out of the air and hit the ground hard. Whoever it was had inhuman strength. No one should be able to break a Ray Wing with simple strength.

The sorcerer rolled over and followed the rope. His eyes landed on a familiar Gerudo woman.

Nabooru softly laughed to herself, then walked toward him, pulling out her scimitar. As she stood over him, she pointed the sword right at his nose.

"If you treasure your life," she said coldly, "give me the Triforce of Wisdom." 

_This is trouble_, Gordon thought right away. If Nabooru knew he had it, that meant that Ganondorf did. But how? Zelda had been doing so well fooling the old man – how could he have found out so soon?

The answer hit him almost immediately. Until now, he hadn't used his Triforce piece. Along with the Triforce of Courage, he used it to destroy the water monster, thereby giving away its presense. Surely, with the Triforce of Power, Ganondorf would be able to sense the other pieces' activities. How reckless he had been!

Time to play dumb.

"I have no idea what you're talking about, woman!" he shouted back defiantly. "You have no business with me!" As his heart began racing, he heard a faint rythmic beating in his ears.

Nabooru only laughed coldly. "You have it and you know it. Give it to me, or do I have to kill you to get it?"

Time to change tactics.

"Nabooru, listen to me. Ganondorf's _using_ you. You're under his control! Don't you understand? Once you've outlived your usefulness, he'll probably kill you! That's the kind of evil man he is." The beating in his ears grew louder.

She only sneered at him. "My Lord would never do that, as long as I remain faithful to him."

"We got through to you once before! Don't you remember? All we want is to help you! Why won't you _let us_ help you?" 

"_Give me the Triforce of Wisdom!!_"

Time to run away.

Gordon tried scooting backward, away from the sword, but the Gerudo only snarled and shoved it in his face again.

"You greatly try my patience, boy," she snarled impassively. "Make the right choice, or you will die."

As he stared down the length of the blade, his heart felt like it was going to explode, and the beating sound in his head grew louder and louder. And suddenly, he realized the sound wasn't in his head. It was off in the distance.

Approaching hoofbeats. Epona.

_If I can just stall her for a few more seconds... _

"No sign of him?" Link called.

Lydia, flying just above his head, had her eyes locked over the eastern horizon, searching for her brother. "Nope! He must still be in Zora's Domain. We'll have to veer off course slightly and pick him up."

Link nodded to himself, then turned his attention back to the terrian. His sharp eyes caught something up ahead. Two shapes – and he recognized both of them.

He slowed Epona to a stop almost immediately, and at the same time grabbed hold of Lydia's ankle to slow her to a stop. "We won't be leaving our course at all," he said as she touched down next to the horse. 

"Why? Do you see him?" she asked as she softly touched down on the ground.

Link pointed ahead. "Up there, near the tree. Gordon's there, and you'll never guess who's there taunting him."

The sorceress climbed up and squeezed into the saddle behind Link, then followed his gaze ahead. She could _barely_ see him, but Gordon was indeed up ahead. Without Hylian eyesight, she was having a lot of trouble seeing who the person standing over him was, but was able to recognize the weapon that was being held toward her brother. A scimitar. It wasn't hard to make the connection.

She slapped Link's shoulder repeatedly. "C'mon, get this horse moving!"

"_Hiya!_" The Hylian gave Epona a good kick, and the horse rocketed across the grassland.

"You're making a big mistake," Gordon insisted. "That slimeball you call Master isn't going to win or accomplish anything. You must break free of his spell!"

"I continually grow tired of you, boy," she replied coldly.

_She's got me in a really bad spot_, the sorcerer thought angrily. _In the time it would take me to throw a spell at her, she'd have the tip of that sword stuck in my forehead. What's taking Link and Lydia so blasted long??_

Nabooru snarled, then sighed, almost regretfully. "I see I have no choice. In order for the Triforce of Wisdom to be given to my Lord, you must die." 

It was at that instant that Epona appeared, charging over the top of the hill. Link was in the saddle, pushing the horse as fast as she would go. Nabooru looked up, surprised, and hesitated. That few seconds of hesitation was all Gordon needed.

"**Lighting!**"

He let loose a burst of light in Nabooru's face. She reared back with her hands over her eyes, yelling angrily. He rolled away quickly and stood up. Epona suddenly ran past him, and Link leapt out of the saddle without even stopping the horse. He landed next to Gordon and pulled out the Master Sword.

Nabooru rubbed her eyes, blinked a few times, then hissed like an animal at the two boys. She picked up her scimitar from the ground and taunted them with it.

Gordon leaned over and whispered in Link's ear. "Where's Lydia?"

Link only smiled. "You know her." 

Nabooru slid the scimitar into her belt and held her right hand off to the side. It glowed for a moment, then was coated with fire. 

Link gasped. "That's magic! How can she..?

"I remember it!" Gordon shouted. "That's Ganondorf's magic! He's given her use of his magic!"

Instinctively, Link raised his shield. Gordon prepared to throw up a defense barrier. This was going to be like fighting a weaker version of Ganondorf.

Off in the distance behind the angry Gerudo, a speck dropped out of the clouds and sped toward the ground, leveling off before it hit. Like a rocket, Lydia flew so close to the ground that she could touch it if she reached down. Slowing slightly, she rammed Nabooru in the back and grabbed her, and lifted her off the ground.

Nabooru, absolutely shocked, screamed in spite of herself.

"Whatsa matter?" Lydia called. "Scared of heights?"

The Gerudo twisted her neck. "...You!"

The sorceress flew only a short distance more, stopped at the top of a tall tree, and dropped the Gerudo into the branches. Almost immediately, she turned around and flew back. She hit the ground in front of Link and Gordon so hard that dirt flew around.

"That should slow her down for a few minutes," she said. "Enough time for you guys to get away."

Gordon raised an eyebrow. "Get away?"

"Look, she's been sent after the two Triforce pieces. You guys fly ahead to the safety of the forest, while I stay here and slow her down. After all, I don't have a Triforce piece she can get if I screw up."

Link sheathed his sword. "Miss Insane has a point. C'mon, before she can pull herself out of the tree."

The sorcerer shrugged and grabbed hold of Link's arm. "**Ray Wing!**"

Lydia watched them fly east for a few moments, then turned and started back toward the tree. As she got close, Nabooru was just working her way down from the lowest branches, mumbling angrily the whole time.

She dropped to the ground and made another fireball in her hands. "Why you lousy little witch! I'll burn you to—"

"**Flow Break!**"

Nabooru stopped in midsentence as she was outlined in light. After a moment, the light disappeared. The red color in her eyes faded to white, then back to red again. The color blinked back and forth as Ganondorf's magic fought with Lydia's magic inside Nabooru's mind. After a moment, the color stayed red, but it was fainter than it had been before. The Gerudo was left shaking and confused. 

Lydia moved in for the kill while she was still disoriented. "Please listen. Ganondorf is using you as a slave. He's worked his black magic on you and is controlling your mind!"

The Gerudo shook herself, and glared at the sorceress with the red eyes. "Don't try your witchcraft on me. I'm forever faithful to my master, and I WILL get the Triforce pieces for him."

Lydia's eyebrows wrinkled together angrily. "No. No, you will not. Because you are a good person inside. I got through to you once before, and I will again."

Nabooru said nothing, but only stared. Lydia had managed to weaken Ganondorf's hold on her. Her eyes showed deep contemplation. She only watched as the sorceress slid her thin sword from its long sheath on her belt and held it by the dull side of the blade.

"Look," Lydia said calmly, and pointed at the pink ribbon tied around the handle. "Don't you remember this? You gave this to me! You're a good person! Please listen to me! Break free of that horrible man!"

".......No! You're lying! Damn you and those other two!" Nabooru straightened to her full height and backed away a few steps. "....He is my Lord...." There was serious uncertainty in her voice. The magic was indeed weakened. 

Lydia shook her head sadly. "No, you're being fooled."

Nabooru only backed away farther. "It seems I will not have the Triforce pieces this day. But my Lord prepared me. Know this, witch-girl. Tell that wizard and the Hylian that if they do not surrender the Triforces of Courage and Wisdom to Ganondorf, the princess will be killed by his hands."

The sorceress was shaking, now with anger. "That spell he has on you is still too powerful for you to understand! I'll just need to break it down some more! **Flow Br**—" 

Before she could finish, Nabooru took off west at flight-speed and was out of the spell's range in seconds, leaving her standing there alone. She dropped the spell and lowered her eyes to the ground.

"....I'll destroy Ganondorf for this," she re-announced bitterly. "My secret weapon will teach him a lesson or two. ...Or three... God, I hate him. **Ray Wing!**" She turned east and flew off toward where she remembered Kokiri Forest to be. 

"**Dolph Strash!**" 

Gordon unleashed a spearlike shockwave that rocketed across the grounds of the Forest, destroying a solid line of the giant Deku Baba defense. Link, Master Sword in hand, ran down another line, slashing back and forth before the monsters could even strike down at him.

"There seem to be more and more of them every time we come!" Link shouted. "With the Deku Tree dead—" He paused long enough to slash a Deku Baba that tried to bite his head off. "there's nothing keeping these things—" Another slash. "from entering the forest!"

"And it doesn't help that—**Dug Haut!**—they keep regenerating themselves!"

Link cut a nearby monster to shreds. "The regeneration is Ganondorf's work! If only the Deku Tree was still alive!"

A shriek nearby cut the battle short. The two boys paused in their individual battles to try to find the source.   
Near the pond, on the other side of the forest, a group of monsters had lined up and were preparing to attack a small Kokiri girl with green hair, curled up in terror on the ground.

Link's chest caved in when he saw her. Recognition was immediate. It was the one girl that had stood by him while he was growing up in the forest. The one that had protected him from Mido and his flunkies until he was old enough to fight back. His lifelong friend was in danger. 

"_Saria!!_" 

He broke into a sprint, madly slashing any monster in his path, but there would be no way he'd make it in time. The monsters around Saria were already coming down on her.

"**Raza Klouva!!**"

Sharp yellow light rained down on the monsters surrounding the Kokiri girl, and they were obliterated with a hiss of energy. There was a rush of air, a flash of brown hair, and Saria disappeared from the spot of grass she had been on.

Still in flight, Lydia blasted past nearby monsters, toward the side wall of the forest, which was lined with an arsenal of Deku Scrubs. Without pausing, the sorceress circled around them, running horizontally up and along the wall, above and past all of them before they could even turn to attack. As she neared where Link had stopped, she leapt off the wall and landed nearby, with a very terrified Saria cradled in her arms. 

"We have to get out of here!" she shouted immediately. "They'll just keep coming!"

Link thought quickly, and motioned with his arm. "Come on! Into the Lost Woods!"

The Hylian led the way, with Lydia close behind. Gordon fell into step next to him within seconds. The two boys destroyed any creature in their path as the group made their way to the west side of Kokiri Forest. Lydia glanced back and saw that an army of Deku Scrubs had pulled themselves free from their bushes and were chasing after them. They were surprisingly quick for such little creatures.

"Up there!" Link shouted, pointing to a tunnel on higher ground. 

Gordon took hold of Link's arm and took off toward the tunnel, just out of reach of a Deku Baba who snapped eagerly at their toes. Lydia, close behind, actually lowered a leg and angrily _kicked_ the Deku Baba's head as she flew over it. It hissed at her like a huge cat, and she hissed back before flying on.

The tunnel came into view just ahead of them. Link had spoken about the Lost Woods before. It was a strange tangle of tunnels and paths that all looked the same. Unless you memorize the path, you'll just end up back at the entrance, or lost forever, if you were having a bad day.

They landed just inside the tunnel, and all broke into a run. The sound of the monsters' pursuit at their backs. Link took the immediate lead. He was one of the few people in all of Hyrule that could run around in the Lost Woods without getting lost. He confidently led them around turns and through different paths.

The sorcerers, on the other hand, were lost after only two turns, and had to rely entirely on Link.

The group continued charging through the Woods with the monsters close behind. Link's insurance was that he knew the woods far better than the monsters did. Sure enough, after a few minutes more, the pursuing mob had taken a wrong turn after losing sight of their prey, and were gone, hopelessly lost. 

After a short time, once sure that they had lost them, the group reached a small, grassy clearing, and Link slowed to a stop. Everyone stood for a while to catch their breath before speaking. It was Link who spoke first.

"Deku Scrubs sure are faster than they look, aren't they?" he huffed.

"Yeah, boy, that was close," Gordon huffed. "Do you suppose those things will ever find us?"

"They'll be dinner for a pack of Wolfos before they ever find their way back to Kokiri Forest." He turned his attention to Lydia. "Seems you made it just in time."

"I seem to be good at that," she replied with a smile, then turned her attention to the small girl in her arms. The girl's face had been hidden in her hands for most of the retreat, but now her huge eyes were peeking over her fingertips and looking up at the sorceress. The green eyes immediatly trailed over to Link, who was smiling at her.

Lydia set the girl down on the ground. She kept her hopeful eyes on Link.

"Is...Is that really you?" she finally asked. 

The girl didn't even wait for an answer. She already knew. She charged forward with tears in her eyes. Link got down on one knee and received a really tight hug from the little girl.

"I thought I'd never see you again!" she cried. "Then, Mido said you had come back, and I was so happy!" She backed away from him and looked him over. "But, I have to admit, I didn't expect you to look like _this_ when I finally saw you again."

Link laughed. "Rather strange to see me this way, huh?"

The girl smiled back. "I like it, though. You're very handsome now." She stopped slightly short, and her eyes widened. In her excitement, she had forgotten all about that tall girl with the strange magic that had saved her. She twirled around, ran back to Lydia, and hugged her waist. 

"I don't yet know who you are," she said, "but thank you for saving me!"

Lydia smiled and patted her head. "So, Link, who's this?"

The Hylian smiled proudly. "Lydia, Gordon, this is Saria, one of my best friends."

Saria let go of Lydia and backed away, bowing respectfully to the two sorcerers.

"Saria," Link continued, "I'd like you to meet Gordon and Lydia. They've been helping me ever since I left the Forest. They've become my closest friends, after all the battles we've been through together."

"Be careful of me," Lydia added with a smirk. "I'm the crazy one."

Saria smiled up at them. "Well, any friends of Link are friends of mine...crazy or not."

"And likewise," Gordon said. 

After a moment of silence, Link turned strangely serious. "Saria, what were you doing out there among those monsters?"

Saria frowned at him. "Are you sick or something?"

Link rolled his eyes. "Let's not get into that again. Please?"

"It's just that.....you know me well enough to _know_ what I was doing out there."

"Would you care to enlighten us anyway?"

The Kokiri girl sat down on the ground. "I was on my way to the Sacred Meadow, of course. But there were more monsters outside than I thought. It's a good thing you all came when you did." She paused for a moment and smiled at Lydia.

Gordon tilted his head slightly and straightened his glasses. "What's the Sacred Meadow?" he asked the girl.

Link answered the question first. "The Sacred Meadow is a clearing hidden in the very back of the Lost Woods. Other than Saria and myself, very few have ever been there, since it's so well placed within this maze."

"Why were you going there, Saria? Why risk getting mixed up with all the monsters?" 

Saria's eyes turned hard and sad. "The Forest Temple is there."

Lydia nodded with understanding. She had a rough idea of Saria's reasons to go to the Forest Temple, and what the Kokiri said next only confirmed that.

"These monsters have been torturing us Kokiri ever since the Deku Tree died. I decided to leave the Forest and go to the temple. Perhaps an answer to our problem is there."

Link nodded. "That's where we're heading, as well. We've already saved the Gorons and Zoras from Ganondorf's magic. ...Speaking of which, Gordon? I haven't had the chance to ask until now, but how were the Zoras?"

Gordon brightened up. "They're doing fine. The fountain had already thawed when I got there. King Zora asked me to send you and Lydia his thanks as well."

Saria's eyes trailed back to Link, and saw him smile. Then he looked at the tall girl. "Lyd, it seems you escaped Nabooru all right, but what happened after we left?"

Lydia shook her head bitterly. "I managed to weaken Ganondorf's magic with my own, but it didn't do much. All I managed to do _this_ time was plant a seed of uncertainty in her mind about her 'Lord'. She ran off again before I could do anything further."

Link's only reply was a solemn nod.

Gordon cracked his knuckles. "I'm surprised you were even able to weaken the hold on her. Ganondorf's magic is quite powerful, after all."

Saria's face was bright. "Link, you have so many adventures to tell me about! It seems that you and your friends have been very busy!" She stood up suddenly and began to walk away. "But it will have to wait. I'm going to the Forest Temple now, like I planned." She stopped suddenly, and slowly walked backward until she was standing next to Link. "And since you're going there anyway, I'll come with you." She nodded at him, then started walking away again.

Quickly staggering to his feet, Link jumped in front of her and held his hands up. "Wait, Saria. I don't think that's a good idea. The Forest is in awful shape. I doubt the Meadow is any better. You won't be safe there."

The girl only eyeballed him. "Do you remember when we were _both_ kids? You always went exploring and adventuring, and you never had a problem with taking me with you. Why should that change, now that you're grown up?"

"That was different. The Deku Tree was alive then." 

Saria crossed her arms and her face twisted into the look of death.

Link remembered that look well. He'd gotten it many times as a kid. Saria always did that whenever he tried to exclude her from anything or when they argued. She _always_ won with the look of death. "Um...well...," he stammered.

Saria nodded, mostly to herself. "Mm-hmm. Thought so. I'm coming with you."

"...Honestly..."

Gordon bent down and balanced on the balls of his feet. "Saria, you need to understand. It will be _really_ dangerous. We've nearly gotten ourselves killed several times already. Ganondorf is involved in everything we do. The Forest Temple won't be different. We will go and see if anything can be done for Kokiri Forest, but you should stay here."

Look of death.

"Ach," Lydia scoffed as Gordon straightened up, defeated. "Just let her come with us. It's obvious that she's not going back." She bent down like her brother did and looked Saria in the eye. "You can come if you promise to be REALLY careful, and stay very close to us."

"Of course I will!"

Link sighed and shook his head. "You haven't changed at all."

Gordon cracked his knuckles. "If we're going, then let's go already. The Forest is only getting worse with time, not better."

Taking the lead again, Link moved on, and the other three fell into step behind him. He led them through a few more turns, changing direction seemingly without even thinking first. He was moving through the woods as if being here was second nature.

After a short time, Link lifted an arm and pointed to the tunnel ahead. "That's where the Sacred Meadow is. Beyond it is the Forest Temple. There will be more monsters there, no doubt. Keep your guards up." He turned his gaze to Saria. "_Especially_ you."

Look of death.

"You should know better than anyone that I can take care of myself, Link," she shot back. Acting on impulse, she reached up and grabbed Gordon's hand. "Come on, Mr. Gordon," she said cockily. "We'll show Link that we're tough!" She yanked the sorcerer into the tunnel with surprising force for such a small person. All Gordon had time to do was glance back at Link and Lydia before disappearing into the darkness ahead. 

Link shook his head helplessly, then started moving into the tunnel himself. Almost immediately, he noticed that Lydia had not followed him. He twisted around and saw her standing where she had stopped, with one of her fists up to her mouth. 

"What's wrong, Lyd?" he asked, and walked back to her.

She shuddered visibly. "....I feel something horrible in there," she said very quietly, as if she wanted to keep a secret. She kept her eyes glued on the dark tunnel. "Something...different...is in there. I don't know how else to explain it. It's just...different. I don't know if we should—" She shook her head at herself. "No, we must go in. But....I can't shake this feeling....," 

"It's great that you're being so cautious," Link replied. "Perhaps you've learned a few lessons finally?"

The sorceress raised her eyes to meet his, but said nothing.

All Link could do was smile at her. She had changed. She was no longer the little girl he had met seven years before.

"Hey," he said warmly. "It'll be fine. We're all together, and together, we're unbeatable."

She was silent for a few more seconds, then nodded meekly. "Okay...if you're sure... Just promise me that you'll be careful. Something really bad is in there, I'm sure of it."

He smiled again. "I'm always careful. No need to worry."

"I'd sure like to think that."

Link slipped his hand into hers and pulled her along with him into the dark tunnel that led to the Forest Temple. He hadn't told her, but he was also a little on edge. Something different was in this temple, and he was fairly sure he wasn't going to like it. 


	21. Chapter 21

**_Worlds Apart  
Part II  
By Miss Lydia_******

**Chapter 21**

"Blue hell," Lydia muttered, "this doesn't look any different than the Woods."

Link made a weird face and looked over at her. "Why do you say that?"

"You said the Sacred Meadow was a clearing. This looks more like a grassy maze to me."

"It's a lot less complicated than it seems, I promise."

The sorceress was correct, in a way. It wasn't a clear field like she had pictured at first, but rather, a small sea of high forest walls.   
  
"Well," she huffed again, "at least we're not being chased by walking bushes with mouths."

"No, but don't worry. We'll run into stuff that's even worse later on," Link replied with a sly smirk.

"And that's supposed to be reassuring?" Lydia shot back.

"Not really, no."

Saria suddenly jumped between them. "Are we going?"

Gordon appeared behind the little girl. "Or are we gonna stand around all day?"

Link planted his hands firmly behind him and cracked his back loudly. "I suppose we've done enough standing around. Saria, do you still insist on going?"

The girl said nothing, but raised an eyebrow at him.

"I thought you would," he continued. "But if you must come, at least take these." He reached behind his shield, shuffled around a bit, then pulled out his fairy bow and his quiver of arrows. 

Saria smiled. "Oh, the bow I gave you when you left Kokiri Forest....," she said quietly and reflectively. "I didn't think you still had it." She took them and hung the quiver over one shoulder and the shortbow over the other. "But I'll be fine, and you know that." Defiantly, she reached over and grabbed Gordon's hand again and pulled him forward. "Let's move along, Mr. Gordon." 

Link watched them disappear around the corner, then actually started laughing. "She still has that spunk. She has the same defiant nature and personality of a certain someone I know."

Lydia pursed her lips sarcastically, then followed her brother and the Kokiri around the corner, pulling Link by his ear. 

They caught up with the two others quickly, and the four moved through the narrow path as a whole group. The walls on two sides of them stood up at least ten feet high, then leveled off on top. It was very quiet, and small fireflies fluttered around them randomly, adding to the overall beauty of the forest scene.

"So." Lydia tilted her head toward Link's ear and spoke quietly, as if afraid that she'd somehow break the forest's beauty if she was too loud. "I take it you've been here before."

"Sure," Link replied, also being quiet for some unspoken reason. "Saria and I used to go to the Forest Temple often, before Ganondorf came around and messed it up. It was, in a way, our hideout."

"Then you know what kind of things live in this Meadow? More specifically, in this maze we're in?"

"Fairly harmless critters, few in number. Once in a while, a small type of Deku Scrub. Never a really big threat. This place is actually relatively peaceful."

"Then, you were joking about bigger monsters later on?"

"I love pulling your leg. You know that."

Lydia absorbed this information and smiled contently. "That's good to know. I've had my fill of big, nasty monsters." 

The group neared a left turn in the path. Link suddenly got one of those weird feelings – his sixth sense was poking him in the back about something. Acting on impulse, he moved ahead and took the lead. 

After traveling with him for weeks, Lydia had learned to detect the sudden changes in his mood. It was obvious when that little voice in his head was warning him about something. Less than four steps behind him, she thought about asking him about it, but decided against it. 

She wasn't the only one. Gordon and Saria also noticed the sudden change in the Hylian's movements, and silenced their voices and steps completely. Better safe than sorry.

As the group, silent as possible, reached the edge of the wall, where the corner was, Link stopped suddenly and spread his arms so that no one could go past him. As silently as a cat, he pressed near the wall and crept a step forward. Gripping the edge of the wall with both hands, he slowly peered around the corner with one eye.

Almost instantly he jerked his head back and swung around. His right arm moved in a wide arc, catching his three companions with that arm and pressing their backs against the wall. He also pressed up to the wall and stopped moving completely, holding his breath. 

Something big stalked into view just then. It looked like a dog-man, easily eight feet tall. In its hands balanced a huge silver spear. 

Gordon bit his lower lip and concentrated on holding as still as a statue. He could feel Saria squeezing his hand in fear. _If this thing sees us, we're in big trouble_.

Lydia watched the creature moving into the corner. The forest's silent beauty and security was gone at the sight of this huge thing looming over them. The only security the sorceress felt was the touch of Link's arm as he unconsciously used it to keep her against the wall.

The dog-man pounded forward on its huge feet until it had moved completely into the corner. It stopped, facing the wall opposite of the group. The thing turned its head slightly, then backed up a step. At this point, if the thing turned to the right to go back to where it came from, its beady eyes would land right on the small group that was trying to be invisible to it.

To everyone's silent relief, the monster swung to the _left_ instead, never taking its eyes off of the wall, and started walking back the way it came. A few seconds more, and it was out of sight, back down the path.

Once sure the monster was a safe distance away, Link quietly let out the breath he had been holding the whole time. He lowered his arm and waved his hand, signaling to the others to go back the way they came.

Almost too afraid to move, the other three detached themselves from the wall and crept as quietly and quickly as possible back down the path. After a quick turn, they were back at the beginning of the maze. They all stumbled out, and Link brought up the rear. 

Lydia leered her eyes at Link and quietly, but harshly, whispered, "I thought you said only Deku Scrubs lived in there."

Saria spoke up immediately. "I've never seen one of those! They've never been in the Meadow before!"

"What was it?"

Link rubbed his neck. "I'm not sure, but it looked like a giant Moblin."

Gordon's legs gave out and he sat on the soft grass. "That was really close. I'm surprised that thing didn't see us. Someone up there must like us."

Lydia took a deep breath and slowly let it out. "I assume a solid spell or two can take care of them?"

Her brother shrugged. "We can assume, yes."

"We need to make sure," Link said, quietly again, "that we don't let them sneak up on us, and there shouldn't be a lot of trouble." He looked down at Saria, who was clinging to the bottom hem of Gordon's shirt. "Stay close to us, okay?"

Instead of arguing about her independence, the Kokiri nodded at him. 

Completely silent, the group turned around and crept back into the forest maze and retraced the path back to that left turn. At one point, Link turned around and whispered almost too quietly to hear. "If you must use spells, stick to the small stuff. There's no point in making huge explosions. If there are more than one of those Moblins in here, we'll just be letting them know where we are."

Once the group reached the left turn again, they could hear the Moblin stomping toward the corner on its set march again. Link motioned Gordon to the front, and held back with the two girls, who were crouched on the ground a short distance back. Gordon knelt down on one knee and prepared a Ly Briem frost spell. He pointed his finger into the corner like a gun and waited, holding perfectly still.

Stomp-stomp-stomp came the giant Moblin with its huge spear. It came into view again, as forbidding as ever. It moved its huge body into the corner and stopped, just like it had the first time. This time around, when it turned to go back, it swung to the right, and instantly spotted a group of intruders.

That was the last thing it saw.

Link and the girls stood up again, and the four of them squeezed past the frozen Moblin statue and around the corner, down the next path. The Hylian took the immediate lead as they neared another left-turn corner. He stopped, pressed up against the wall, and peered around the corner with one eye. He jerked his head back again, signaled to Gordon, and moved away. Gordon knelt down and prepared another Ly Briem.

Another giant Moblin just like the first stalked into view. It was an ice statue before it even saw them hiding.

The adventurers pressed on down the narrow path and closed in on a right turn. Near the turn, there were two small alcoves in the wall – one on the right, one on the left. They didn't seem to have any purpose. They were just there. So, the group concentrated on the right turn in front of them. The same thing happened once again. Link spotted the next Moblin, and Gordon ambushed it.

Only, this time, there was a twist. 

Once the Moblin was a block of ice, the group heard a deep grunt behind them. They all whirled around to see another Moblin charging down the path at them. Always the quick thinker, Link remembered the two alcoves in the wall. He shoved the two girls into the right alcove, then piled himself and Gordon into the other. The Moblin rocketed between them, and its spear jammed itself into the wall of the right turn. 

"Where'd _that_ one come from??" Gordon shouted in disbelief as he stepped back into the path. 

Showing mean strength, the Moblin yanked out it spear, along with several large chunks of the wall. It threw its head back and bellowed into the air. It was a strange sound – half roar, half scream. Either way, it was some kind of call. 

From somewhere farther into the maze, an identical roar sounded. From another part, another roar. And another. And another. And another.

"**_Bamu Rod!_**" Lydia quickly created a whip of fire, and the Moblin that had sounded the alarm was quickly reduced to a smoking pile of dust after a few quick swipes.

She whirled around to face her companions. The fire whip remained in her fist, extending down the length of her leg and curling at her feet. She frantically shouted at them. "Screw the secrecy! They know where we are!"

"Let's move!" Link yelled. 

The party rocketed down the next path. The Moblin calls grew louder and closer with each step. They came on another right turn, complete with another Moblin. Lydia swung the whip and took its head off, and they continued on. 

Saria fought to keep up as all the taller people with longer legs ran out in front of her. She clutched Link's fairy bow to her chest as she ran, holding an arrow in the other hand. 

At one point, the pathway widened quite a bit, enough to fit three Moblins shoulder-to-shoulder. That's exactly what was charging toward the group now. Saria fell behind as Link and the two sorcerers ran alongside each other. Link held the Master Sword, Lydia still had her fire whip, and Gordon created a Rah-Tilt sword. The three Moblins lowered their spears and roared angrily, but each of their targets jumped up out of range and plowed right through them. Saria had to jump over the three piles of dust as she ran to catch up.

After more turns in the maze and more Moblin dust, the roaring silenced completely and the stomping faded. Link recognized the final turn that marked the end of the maze and the entrance to the Forest Temple. He slowed the group down, and they all fought to catch their breath. 

"I think that's the last of them," Link heaved, exhausted.

"That was nuts!" said Lydia. 

Saria stood with her hands on her knees, breathing heavily. Keeping up with Link and his friends was _hard_. But at least they made it. The Forest Temple was just ahead.

The Kokiri girl turned around to look back where they had come from, and saw something that made her breath catch in her throat. 

The other three, still facing the other way, heard a faint noise. They straightened up and turned around. A huge Moblin loomed over them. Its spear was already raised. It roared with anger and brought the spear down. There was no time for even Link to react.

Something struck the Moblin in the neck before the spear could connect. The monster grunted and fell onto its back, then fell apart into dust. A single arrow protruded from the pile.

Saria's arm was extended above her head, still holding the fairy bow. 

"All right, Saria!" Lydia shouted, throwing a fist in the air, and hooking her arm around Link's in her excitement. "You're the best!"

Gordon couldn't help but be impressed. But it didn't last long – right away, a Moblin call sounded from some part of the maze they had already been through. "They're regenerating!" Gordon shouted. "Keep moving!" He grabbed hold of Saria and dragged her along as the group pressed on down the path and out of the maze. 

A straight path opened up in front of them. Stairs were at the end. At the top of those stairs was a huge opening. From where they were, the adventurers could see the top of a huge structure – the Forest Temple. However, blocking the stairs was an enormous Moblin, three times the size of the others, and it had a huge club that was the size of a wrecking ball. 

The group skidded to a stop and stared at it. That's the only thing they could do – this thing was _huge_! Lydia's mouth gaped open. "Wow...that guy's been eating his Wheaties."

Link blinked once, made a face, and looked at her. "His..._what_?"

"Oh, yeah, sorry. A joke from home. I'll explain it later." She looked at the huge Moblin up ahead. It was taunting them with its club, daring them to come closer.

"Ganondorf must have set him there to guard the temple," Gordon guessed. "Seems he expects us to come to him."

Lydia reached up and massaged her sore shoulders. "You wanna take care of him?"

"Sure." The sorcerer moved closer, just out of the Moblin's range, unless it moved. He placed his hands together, held them for a second, then spread them suddenly. "**Blast Ash!**" A dark void appeared around the Moblin's enormous feet. It looked down just in time to watch its legs burn to ash, followed shortly by the rest of it. The huge club clunked dully on the grass and lay still.

Certain that _he'd_ regenerate, too, the group pressed on. Link paused by the pile of dust and stared at it. 

"Did you see the _size_ of that thing?" he asked Lydia as she passed him.

"Oh yeah," she replied. "I'm certain that _all_ of us did, Linkie."

The Hylian shook his head. "I have _got_ to get myself some of those Wheaties."

Lydia laughed and pulled him along up the stairs. "Right. You'd be a lean, mean, and oversized killing machine, I'm sure. Let's hurry. Gordon and Saria are already way ahead." 

Actually, the other two were right at the top of the stairs, waiting for them. Spread out in front of them was the massive Forest Temple. It was a concrete structure embedded in the far wall, overrun with vines and leaves. Out in its "front yard" was an elevated Triforce platform, identical to the ones at the Fire and Water Temples.

Lydia glanced around to make sure there weren't any more Moblins or Deku Scrubs or any other screwballs to mess up. It was clear. The sorceress knelt down in front of Saria and poked her playfully in the stomach. "You were _great_ back there!"

Saria tilted her head. "Huh?"

The sorceress smiled and pointed to the fairy bow the Kokiri still clutched in her hand.

Link smiled and knelt down next to her. "I guess you really _can_ take care of yourself, Saria. I underestimated you."

The Kokiri playfully slugged his jaw. "Like always, blondie."

Link laughed, as he always did when she called him that. He took hold of Saria and lifted her up onto his shoulders.

"Wow!" Saria shouted as Link stood up. She gripped both of his ears to make sure she didn't fall. "I remember the last time you tried this! Your back was sore for a week!"

Link smiled up at Saria. "I guess there are a few advantages to growing up." He started moving forward, keeping a good grip on Saria's ankles. The girl giggled with glee, enjoying the ride. The two sorcerers followed close behind. After a moment, Lydia slowed down and gripped Gordon's shirt so he'd stop, too. Link and Saria moved on without them.

The sorceress leaned over to her brother's ear. "Y'know, I've made a little observation."

"What's that?" Gordon asked.

"I think little Saria likes you." Lydia straightened up and chuckled quietly.

"Don't be an idiot."

"Not this time, I'm afraid. I think Saria likes you – haven't you noticed??"

"Again, don't be an idiot. She's so much younger than I am."

Lydia looked at her brother like he was insane. "Kokiri don't grow up, remember? I'm willing to bet that Saria's older than _me_."

Gordon shook his head and began walking away. "I'm telling you, you're an idiot."

"Maybe I am, but _you're_ just in denial."

The sorcerer waved his hand, a signal to his sister to just drop the matter. Unbelievably, she actually decided to drop it.

Up ahead, Link stood at the foot of the temple. The entrance was elevated on the second story, with a platform at the door. A little off to the side was a bent-over tree. It stood up above the entrance, where it bent over, so that its branches lay just above the platform. Neither Link nor Saria had ever actually been _in_ the temple because of the layout of the entrance. Now, it seemed that getting in would be the easy part.

Link reached behind his shield and pulled out the Hookshot. Saria tightened her grip on his ears as he let the chain go. The tip hit the branches with a _clunk_ and stuck there. Link retracted the chain, pulling himself and the Kokiri girl up to the second story platform. A moment later, the two sorcerers followed with simple levitation spells. Together, the adventurers entered the dark passageway into the Forest Temple. 

The first thing was a very tall room, also overrun with vines. Two more bent-over trees stood on either side. Vines that snaked up the walls were so thick that one could actually climb them. The point of note in the room was the door at the other end at the top of a few stairs. One look at the door revealed a snag in the immediate plan.

It was locked tight, chains and all.

Lydia glanced at Link with narrowed eyes and opened her mouth to speak, but his own voice cut her off. "Don't tell me," he said, half smiling. "I know already. 'Link, can I please just blast the door open this time?'."

The sorceress laughed so loudly that it echoed off of the walls. "You've been around me WAY too long – that's _exactly _what I was gonna say, word for word."

"Too long is right. And, _no_, you will _not_ blast the door, because we don't know what's right behind it."

She heaved a sigh and tapped her toes on the stone floor. "I guess you're right. So...what do you suppose we should do?"

Gordon rubbed his chin and glanced around. "Well, the most obvious thing is to look this room over completely. There must be something in here." 

As the sorcerer spoke, Link suddenly tensed up. That was the signal that had become all to familiar. The two sorcerers were immediately on guard as their eyes scanned the room around them. Saria saw the sudden change in her friends and poked Link's cheek. 

"What's wrong?" she asked him.

Link knelt down on one knee and slid Saria off his shoulders to the ground. "Something's thinking about showing itself. Be careful."

The Kokiri girl twirled the fairy bow in her hands. She felt ready for anything. 

Near the door, in a puff of smoke that rose from the ground, a grey Wolfos appeared and howled into the air. Off to the side, another Wolfos rose from the ground. And another, and another, and another, until the group was greatly outnumbered. 

Gordon jumped out in front and scoffed. He jabbed his finger at the group of monsters in from of them. "Three....four.... Tch. Only seven? Child's play!"

Saria's mouth fell open at him. "_Only_ seven?"

The sorcerer smiled at her and shrugged his shoulders. "Sure. Watch this." He placed his hands in front of him and separated his fingers so that each of the howling wolves had at least one finger pointed at it. "**Zelas Brid!**" Quick as lighting, a thin band of white light shot out of each of his fingers. Each Wolfos was pierced right through. The room echoes with agonized howls of the wolves as they fell to the ground and evaporated back into dust.

Gordon barely had time to turn around before Saria had her arms around his waist and was squeezing hard. "You are _so_ cool! That was _great_!"

The sorcerer looked at the Kokiri, then up at his sister. She had her arms crossed and was giving him one of those I-Told-You-So looks. 

Before Gordon could even roll his eyes at her, there was a quick flash of light near the ceiling, above one of the bent-over trees' branches. Link walked backward to get a good view. 

"Hey," he said quietly, "there's something up there now." 

Without waiting, he ran over to the wall and gripped the vines. After finding a good foothold, he began climbing. The other three remained spectators on the ground as he detatched from the wall, stepping onto the tree. 

The tree Link was standing on was one of the two in the room. The thing that had appeared was on the branches of the other tree. It was a very small wooden treasure chest. To get there, Link would have to balance himself carefully and walk across the tree, then jump to the other and cross to the chest. Not to mention, this tree was _really_ high. The height almost made him sick, but he sucked in a breath and started crossing the branch.

Lydia's mouth fell open and every muscle tensed. He was up there, really high, walking on a very narrow branch above them. And he was moving at a very quick pace! A normal person would have to be slow and hold their arms out for balance. But Link? He was practically running across this thing like he was taking a stroll down the street! She covered her eyes with her hands and waited. He was going to fall and she didn't want to see it. At one point, she heard Gordon whisper in awe.

"His agility never ceases to amaze me," he said.

After another moment, Lydia felt something poke her leg, and she dropped her hands. Saria was tugging on her pant leg, and was pointing up into the tree. The sorceress lifted her eyes. Amazingly, Link was already on the other side, playing with whatever had appeared up there. She cupped her hands around her mouth and shouted up to him. "What is it?"

Link held up the silver object he had just pulled out of the chest. "It's a key!" 

Lydia laughed and looked at her brother. "That's beautiful. Absolutely priceless. Defeat the monsters, and the key to the next room falls straight out of the air. I swear, it's straight out of a video game."

Her brother rolled his eyes. "You're an idiot."

She smiled. How true this was. When she looked up near the ceiling again, she was horrified to see Link charging back across the branches again. Then he actually _leapt_ onto the wall of vines, gripped the leaves, and made a quick descent. As soon as he was on the ground again, Lydia stomped over and smacked the back of his head. 

"Ugh! Don't DO that! You scared me to death!"

Link laughed at her for some reason. "Sorry. Here, I'll make it up to you. If this key doesn't fit that lock over there, you can blast the door open."

All anger was instantly forgotten. "I get to blast something! Oh yeah!"

The adventurers moved over to the door. The chains were pretty solid. In the center, where they crossed, was a large lock. Link jammed the key in and turned it. Something clicked, and the chains went slack and fell off the door. 

"Ooh, tough luck, crazy girl," Link said tauntingly as he turned the knob.

Lydia sneered playfully. "You slime."

"Thank you."

"...That wasn't a compliment." 

The next room was quite massive, with a door near each corner. In the center of the room were four candle mounts with a different colored flame on each candle.

"Hmm...," Lydia murmured. "Dark in here."

"Is it?" Link asked. "Seems all right to me."

"...Says the elf boy. Well, at least those weird candles are lit. That helps a little." 

The group moved forward and down the set of stairs in front of them to the main floor. As they approached the lit candles, a gust of wind blew past them to the center of the room. Four clouds of mist appeared around each of the candles, and the flames went out. Now, spinning at the top of each candle mount was a ghost. Each one was carrying a candlestick, now carrying the strange-colored flames. The ghosts turned toward each of the four doors leading away from the room, floated off, and disappeared.

It was completely dark.

"Great." Lydia muttered. "Now I can't see at ALL! I hate the dark!"

"Relax," she heard Link say, somewhere off to the left. "I can still see a little bit."

"That doesn't help _me_! ...Ow!! Who stepped on my foot?!"

She heard Link's voice again, on her other side now. "Sorry."

Somewhere off to her left, Gordon spoke with a rather sarcastic tone. "Don't panic. We have spells to take care of this problem, remember?"

"Uh...oh yeah." She felt pretty stupid, but shrugged it off quickly. "**Lighting.**" A ball of bright white light appeared between her hands, illuminating the entire floor. She tossed it up toward the ceiling, where it hung, then turned to her brother. "Stick one of yours with it so it's nice and bright in here."

"**Lighting.**" Gordon also created an identical light and sent it up to the ceiling and merged with the first one, creating an orb that was twice as bright. The huge room was illuminated as if the ceiling had been taking off, letting the sun shine in full glory.

Saria could barely contain her excitement. Watching Link's friends work was so much fun!

Lydia deliberately cracked her knees and elbows, then glanced at Link. "What _were_ those?"

"Poes," he replied. "Finding one, let alone four, is really bizarre in this part of Hyrule. Usually, they hang around in the graveyard. I've heard rumors that a few were spotted in the desert, but that's all. Ganondorf's dirty work, no doubt."

"Well, it follows the pattern. _Everything_ has been Ganondorf's dirty work. I really hate that guy."

Gordon stared down one of the hallways that one of the ghosts had disappeared into. "Did you see how they took the candle flames away with them? There must be a reason for that."

Lydia glanced up at the ceiling. "We should probably go after them."

Link slowly turned in a full circle, studying the room. "Four doors, four Poes. We have no choice but to go after them. We'll have to split up."

"Oh man. We _always_ have to split up! I hate splitting up! It makes me tense."

"You're always tense. Well, I'll take one, and you two can each take one." Link glanced down at Saria. "Who do you want to go with?"

Saria gripped the bow defiantly and met his gaze. "Nobody. I'll go on my own."

The other three stared at her like she was insane.

"Like you said," the girl continued. "Four doors, four Poes....and _four_ people among us, unless I've forgotten how to count. Each one of us can take one ghost. It'll be faster that way. And I've already proven that I can take care of myself."

Link knelt on one knee and placed his big hand on her shoulder. "Saria, are you sure? Poes are a little dangerous."

Look of death.

"All right. You _do_ have a point. If you want to go conquer the fourth ghost, that's what you'll do."

Saria smiled. Victory tasted good.

Gordon shook his head. This girl really _was_ as stubborn as his sister. The sorcerer reached behind Saria and withdrew a single arrow from the quiver. Saria watched as he closed his eyes, and after a moment, the arrow was completely illuminated with white light. He handed it to the girl then.

"If you must go alone, take this with you. I've charged it with a powerful anti-undead spell. When you find the Poe, intruduce it to this arrow, and you should be fine."

Saria smiled and took the glowing arrow. It felt very warm. "Thank you." She slipped it among the others in the quiver.

The small group of four smiled at each other, then turned to face their respective corner doors. They parted ways and disappeared through the doors, leaving nothing in the large room except the large glowing orb of light at the ceiling. 

In a corner of the room that was still draped in darkness, a single shadow detatched itself from the others and stood up straight, becoming a tall, slim figure. The figure pushed back its ponytail of long red hair and looked into the now empty room.

Nabooru laughed quietly, and in a whisper of magic, faded into thin air.


	22. Chapter 22

**_Worlds Apart  
Part II  
By Miss Lydia_******

**  
Chapter 22**

"Here we are, in a spooky temple, chasing after some ghosts, and we've split up _again_, like it's logical or something. What a rip." Lydia shut the door behind her and paraded down the hallway, mumbling to herself. "So much for strength in numbers. You'd think a guy like Link would be smart enough to figure that out, but _no-o-o_. He has to split us up whenever we're in a dangerous situation.  Do I _look_ like Scooby-Doo?! As soon as I see him, I'll have to introduce that cute face of his to my knuckles. Well, next time, I get MY way."

The sorceress was so wrapped up in her complaining that she hadn't even noticed that the hallway she was in had ended three complaints earlier, or that she was now climbing stairs.

A wicked laugh echoed off of the walls and brought her complaints to a dead halt. Thrown back into the here and now, Lydia glanced around her for the source of that almost mocking laughter, but saw nothing but stones. Up at the top of the staircase was another room. She shrugged and climbed the remainder of the stairs.

This new room was completely undescriptive and plain. A stone floor, a stone ceiling, and four stone walls. The only thing remotely interesting in this room was a large candlestick on the far side, just like one of the four the first room of the temple held. There was another quick thing Lydia noticed.

The room was a dead end.

"Okie dokie.....," Lydia said quietly, slowly moving toward the center of the room. "That little bugger with the flame has to be in here somewhere." She reached the center of the room and stood there, and waited. 

And waited.

And waited.

And for a change in activity, waited some more. 

In the meantime, the sheer _quiet_ of the Forest Temple was starting to dance on Lydia's nerve endings. It was unnaturally quiet. She could hear her own heartbeat waving through the air. Another moment of this, and the sorceress began humming quietly to herself, just to hear _something_.

After humming every tune she could think of, Lydia lost her patience and made some _real_ noise.

"SHOW YOURSELF!!"

Lydia's challenge to the ghost bounced off the stone walls and vibrated in her ears, but she still waited. The little hairs on the back of her neck were standing up. She was no longer alone, and she knew it. She had an eerie feeling that there was something behind her, but didn't have that sixth sense Link had and couldn't be sure.

Until she heard the faint rattle of a lantern.

There _was_ something behind her. 

Lydia jumped to the left as one of the four Poes smashed its lantern onto the ground where she had just been. The sorceress whirled around and laughed at the ghost. "Sorry, I already know that trick! An old codger in the graveyard showed me that one!"

The Poe glared up at her with glowing red eyes, then vanished completely.

The sorceress's mouth fell open. "_Oh_ no. We are not playing this game!" She began to slowly turn in circles. "I know you're here somewhere. C'mon out and play with me! I'll play nice!"

Her eyes darted back and forth as she waited for some noise that would give away the Poe's position. Suddenly, the hairs on her neck went stiff again. She whipped around to find a Poe that didn't know any other tricks than Dampé's favorite. "**Elmekia Lance!**" In a flash of blue light, the Poe was blasted close to the far wall, and Lydia was on it again before it had the chance to disappear. "**Dynast Brass!**"

A pentagram of light formed on the floor around the Poe. Lighting formed at the outside, then rushed into the center, zapping the ghost. It shrieked and dissolved into black ash. The lantern it had been carrying fell to the floor and shattered to pieces. 

Lydia chuckled to herself and straightened up. "Remember when I said I'd play nice? I lied." A flash at the other wall caught her attention. The tall candlestick that had been bare and lonely a moment before now held the bright flame that the Poe had originally stolen from the first room of the Forest Temple."

"Hmm... If this one is lit now, then the one at the beginning should be lit, too." She balled a fist and held it in front of her chest triumphantly. "Mission accomplished." She dropped the fist down and tapped her thigh with it absently. "I guess now I should head back and wait for the others." 

Without further thought, she turned and started back. As she passed the pile of Poe ashes, she swiftly kicked it and scattered the dust across the floor.

Gordon silently closed the iron door behind him, then moved down the narrow, dark hallway. This had to be the only way the Poe could have gone, unless it was moving around in the walls. The very idea of it made the sorcerer curl his lips into a snarl. That would be _really_ typical, now that he thought about it.

He climbed a short staircase, and halfway up, heard a cocky, ghostly laugh echo silently on the surrounding walls. No walls for _this_ Poe; it wanted a straight fight. Gordon smiled smugly. That's exactly what this thing would get! Confidently, he ascended the final length of the stairs in long strides, and ended up in a non-descript, dead-end room with a tall candlestick against the back wall.

The Poe laughed at him again.

Gordon moved swiftly into the center of the room and waited for something to happen. 

Apparently, this ghost was far more straightforward than the sorcerer would have ever guessed. Just after he stopped in the center of the room, the Poe materialized right in front of him. Gordon smirked at it in a challenging way, and set his hands in the spell-firing position.

Just then, an identical Poe materialized on his left side.

And another behind him, and yet another on his right side.

All four of them cackled with the same exact laugh, and began circling around him. Gordon wasn't sure if there were really four Poes there, or if it was illusion. Wearily, he unhooked his flail from his belt and swung the spiked ball at the left one. The ball whizzed right through the ghost, and it dissipated into smoke. 

He swung at the one in front of him, and that one also dissipated. He whirled around and attacked the one behind him, only to have the same thing happen. Just as the third Poe vanished, the fourth raised its lantern and swung it down on Gordon, who barely moved in time. The lantern clanged harmlessly on the ground, and the Poe vanished into thin air with a cackle.

Gordon's eyes darted back and forth. "So that's it. Illusion. It's a mind trick... So if I can just manage to distract it...so it loses its concentration...."

Four more Poes surrounded him all at once and began circling, just like before. But Gordon was too smart to fall for the same thing twice.

"**Burst Rondo!**"

Small balls of red light sparked all throughout the room. The diversion spell frightened the Poes and disoriented them. Three of the ghosts wavered and vanished, leaving the real one out like a sitting duck.

"Gotcha! **Elmekia Flame!**"

A beam of blue light as wide as a tree trunk hammered into the real Poe and pinned it against the wall as it dissolved into black ash. Its lantern fell to the floor and shattered. 

Gordon straightened up, rather proud of himself. There was a flash behind him as the lone candlestick lit itself with the colored flame the Poe had carried. The sorcerer trailed to the back of the room and bent down to examine the flame. "This is the same thing as the one in the first room. So maybe... I'd better get back there!"

He turned on his heel and jogged back downstairs, backtracking to the beginning of the Forest Temple.

On his part of the ghost hunt, Link also found himself in a narrow hallway that ended with a spooky staircase and a small, empty room with a candlestick. But his room wasn't as empty as the ones the two sorcerers had found themselves in.

In Link's stone room were four large blocks, each standing a little higher than he was tall. Each side of the block had what _looked_ like part of a picture of some kind, and up on the side wall was a painting of a Poe with a green flame. 

The Hylian carefully approached the blocks, which sat in different parts of the room. He reached out and touched the closest one, but nothing happened. He reached up and grabbed the top of the block, then pulled himself up high enough to prop himself up on his elbows. 

The top of the block also had part of a picture. Since he was now a little higher, he could see the tops of the other three blocks as well. They were also parts of a similar picture. Link glanced up at the painting on the wall and made the connection very quickly.

It was a puzzle. The four blocks were each part of the same picture, and if they were arranged in a different order than the one they currently lay in, the top of the blocks would form an identical picture as in the painting.

"Well," Link sighed, still clinging to the top of the block, his feet dangling several inches off the floor. "This one's sure unique."

After a moment of quick planning, Link dropped down to the floor again. He pressed his left shoulder into the side of the block and pushed it close to another block across the room until the two blocks touched. He climbed up high enough to check on the tops – together, they now formed the top half of the painting.

Link walked over to another corner of the room and pushed the block that was over there until it touched the other two. This block was part of the bottom half. He sighed heavily from the physical labor of this task. The puzzle blocks were surprisingly heavy.

After moving the last block several feet, he stopped and rested for a moment, with his shoulder still propped up on the block's side. "Is this what I've been reduced to?" he wondered sarcastically. He sucked in a breath and pushed the last block until it was almost into position.

Just before "snapping" this piece of the puzzle into place, he climbed up on top and studied his work. The picture was coming out nicely. This last block, once pushed another foot, would become the last part, and the picture would be complete. Link dropped down again, pressed his shoulder to the side, and gave it a good shove. 

The block slid into its place, and something clicked. The blocks sank into the floor and vanished. Where the completed puzzle had just lay, a Poe with a colored flame now floated. In one hand, it carried a lantern. Almost immediately, the poe raised its other arm and aimed something at Link's head. Something shot out, and Link moved his head aside just in time to avoid the chain whizzing past his ear. 

In two strides, he was away from the Poe and turned around. The chain that had almost nailed him in the face hit the opposite wall. 

"Is...Is that a Hookshot?" he wondered aloud.

But it couldn't be! The chain had easily gone twice as far, and the device the Poe held had a different look to it. He couldn't be sure – he didn't have enough time to get a good look at it before it was aimed at him again. He had to move, and was once again sideswiped by the chain of this weird-looking Hookshot.

This Poe didn't realize early enough that it had a serious problem. Its target was _very_ fast, and every time it used its device, precious seconds were lost. By the time the chain had finished retracting from the second attack, Link had already taken out his sword and sliced the Poe into two pieces. 

The ghost vanished in a flash of light and a poof of black ash. The candlestick at the back of the room now bore a colored flame, and the weird device the Poe had attacked Link with fell to the floor.

Now that it wasn't being used to try to re-arrange his face, Link could pick the little thing up and look at it. It seemed to be some kind of Hookshot, but a more advanced version. Link smiled and spoke to the air in the empty room. "Thanks for the souvenir."

The colored flame on the candlestick caught his eye, and he moved toward it for a closer look. He bent down so the flame was at eye-level. ".....This is the same color as the fire that thing took from the first room. Maybe..."

Anxious to get back to see if his theory was right, he pocketed his new toy and jogged back the way he had come.

"I'll show them!" Saria said as she closed the door. "I'll prove to them that I'm useful!" She clutched Link's bow in anticipation and pressed on through the hallway. "I'll make sure they don't regret bringing me!"

The hallway quickly turned into a stairway. As Saria began the climb, the air around her became noticably colder. That ghost thing had definitely come this way. Her steps slowed to a crawl, and something at the top of the staircase caught her eye. It was a picture on the wall. A picture of the same Poe she had chased this way. 

As she neared the picture, the Poe in the picture vanished and its laugh echoed off the walls.

Confused, Saria neared the empty picture frame and examined it. It was all black now; there was no longer anything there. Without moving from her place, she turned her head. The stairway was leveled off where she stood, but it curled to the right, and another stairway was there. 

The Kokiri girl turned and started up the second stairway. About halfway up, she slowed to a stop. At the top, there was an empty square room visible, and she could see the tip of a tall candlestick at the back. There was no sign of the Poe.

A mysterious shiver traveled up her spine, and impulsively, she turned her head and looked back the way she had come.

The Poe had returned to the painting.

That was just weird. Typical ghost, messing with the heads of those it haunts. Saria reluctantly turned around and started back down the staircase again. As she neared the picture, the Poe again disappeared with a cackle of a laugh.

With a sly look at the empty wooden frame, Saria turned around and again ascended the staircase. She knew exactly what to do. 

This time, she climbed to the top and into the empty room, then moved to the side and flattened again the wall, out of sight of the staircase. She turned and slowly looked around the corner and down the staircase with one eye. The wooden frame was visible from here, and the Poe had once again made its nest inside. 

Saria smiled evilly. Time to snipe the spector. 

She reached behind her to get an arrow. As her hand moved around in the quiver trying to find one, it brushed against a really warm arrow amongst the rest – the one that Mr. Gordon had enchanted for her. That one didn't have its use yet, so she wrapped her fingers around a regular arrow and fit it into the bow string. She moved into the open _just_ enough to fit her arms around the corner, bow at the ready. With a hum of the string, the arrow flew. 

It struck home in the center of the Poe painting. The Poe instantly came out of the wall, still carrying the flame it had taken from the beginning room. It floated up the staircase toward Saria. She ducked back into the room and pressed against the wall. The Poe reached the top and flew right past her. When it reached the center of the room, it stopped and turned to face her. 

This was it. This was Saria's chance to prove herself to Link and his two friends! Her hand was once again in the quiver, feeling around for that special magic arrow, warm to the touch.

The Poe was moving before she could get a grip on the arrow. It swung is lantern like a ball-and-chain and charged at her. Saria jumped to one side, keeping one hand in the quiver, and the ghost sailed past her and into the wall. 

It didn't stop there. Instead of crashing into the stone wall, it went right into it and disappeared from view.

Saria moved to the center of the room, becoming rather fearful. This was not good! The ghost could come at her from anywhere....! ....But she would be ready! She was determined to be ready! Her fingers landed on the warm arrow and she loaded the bow. She raised the weapon and started turning in circles, waiting for the Poe to show itself again.

She didn't have to wait long. The sound of the swinging lantern hit her ears, and she side-jumped as the Poe's attempt to ram her in the back wizzed past her. Saria twirled one one foot, trying to keep her balance. She planted the other foot firmly on the floor and raised the bow. She had to hit it before it disappeared again!

"This one's for the Deku Tree!" she proclaimed aloud. Just when the Poe was about to retreat into the wall again, Saria let fly the magic arrow.

The arrow struck the Poe in the back, and it raised its arms in pain. That's when the magic Gordon had sealed into it was released. White light snaked from the arrow in small strings that wrapped around the squirming Poe. They sealed around the ghost like a caccoon, and exploded in a pillar of white light. When the light faded, all that was left was the shattered remains of the creature's lantern on the floor. 

Saria stared open-mouthed. "...Wow!"

There was a small flash of colored light off to her left as the candlestick lit itself. The Kokiri girl recognized the flame as the one the Poe had stolen. The one at the beginning must be lit as well! Incredibly pleased with her success, she turned and started back toward the stairway. 

Before she could get out of the room, there was a bright flash of light at the top of the stairs and a puff of smoke from the floor. Saria momentarily shielded her eyes from the bright light. When it dimmed, she lowered her arm and peered into the smoke. She could just make out the outline of a girl standing there.

"M-Miss Lydia...?" she asked hopefully. 

The girl who stepped out was not the sorceress. This one was much taller and had long red hair and dark skin. She spoke to the Kokiri with a horribly cold voice. "Ha. You wish."

Saria didn't even have time to cry out before the girl was upon her.

Lydia was the first to reach the beginning room. The first thing she did was look at the four candlesticks in the center.

Three of them were lit.

Her brother appeared from his door seconds later. He too looked at the candlesticks and smiled trimphantly. He jogged over to Lydia and playfully slugged her shoulder. "Good job. Did your ghost give you much trouble?" 

The sorceress smiled cockily. "Not much. Its mistake was using Dampé's old tricks on me. Saw right through them and BAM--!"

Gordon smirked. "Mine gave me some problems. It tried using illusions on me."

Another door opened just then, and Link quietly slipped through it. At the sight of the three lit candlesticks, his face brightened and he quickly met with the two sorcerers.

He glanced around the room and his smile faded. "...Where's Saria? Isn't she back yet?"

Lydia shook her head. "I assume all three of us took care of our respective Poes, so three candlesticks have been re-lit. One is left. I wonder if Saria ran into trouble....?"

Gordon looked over at her. "Should I go after her?"

Link, whose gaze was glued on the candlesticks, suddenly raised a hand. "No need."

The two sorcerers looked where he was looking. The fourth candlestick had a small, dim flame on it that was growing slowly. All three sighed with relief. 

"She must be okay then," Gordon guessed.

After another few seconds, the fourth flame had grown to full size, and something clicked. A dark square in the center of the room dislodged from the rest of the floor and rose. It became the "ceiling" for a small box with no sides that now sat in the center of the room.

Lydia moved close to this new thing to get a good look. "It looks like an elevator or something," she guessed.

"Probably goes to a lower level," Link said.

"Oh good," Gordon said with a hint of sarcasm. "More fun downstairs." He raised his arms in a broad stretch of fatigue. "Well, we may as well wait until Saria comes back."

The other two nodded in silent agreement, and Lydia was quick to change the subject.

"Annoying things, those Poes," she said to Link. "What crap did yours put _you_ through, Hero?"

Link quickly relayed the story of the puzzle-solving he had done, then reached into his tunic and pulled out the device the Poe had used. "Twice that Poe almost clipped me in the face with this."

Curious, Gordon looked closely at it. "What is it?"

"I dunno, really. It's like a Hookshot, but as you can see, it looks different, and I've seen it in action – the chain is at least twice as long."

Lydia smiled. "So, it's kinda like a _Long_Shot, eh?" She playfully slapped his back.

Link couldn't help but laugh. 'Longshot' probably wasn't the technical term for this thing, but it was a cute anyway. "I guess you could call it that."

"Well, at least you got a new toy as a reward," the sorceress said. Her voice trailed off, and she looked toward the door Saria had disappeared into. "What's taking her? She should've been back by now." 

No one said anything, each one thinking to themselves. After another moment, Saria's door slowly opened with a loud creak. Once again, relief swept over the three. Saria was obviously okay.

Saria appeared through the door, but wasn't alone. In fact, she was being held up in the air by a brown arm under her neck, and a scimitar was pointed at her ear. 

Nabooru.

Three mouths dropped open in shock. Lydia's mouth recovered quickly and snarled at the Gerudo woman. "Nabooru, you.....you...._you_!"

Surprisingly, the Gerudo smiled wickedly and tightened her grip on Saria. "Me, me, me?"

"How could you?" Lydia continued. "How could you take a little girl hostage?!"

Gordon's hand curled over her shoulder in warning. "Calm down! You know Ganondorf's got control of her mind! It's not her fault!"

His sister looked at him with a pitiful look in her eyes. "I..I know...but..."

Link spoke up, just as angrily. "Nabooru, she has nothing to do with this! Leave her out of it!"

In reply, Nabooru narrowed her red eyes. "Give me the Triforces of Wisdom and Courage, or this girl dies!"

The other three froze. This was bad. Now Nabooru was bringing innocent others into the problem. They had no doubt this brainwashed Nabooru _would_ kill Saria to get those Triforce pieces. 

Without warning, Lydia's overly angry voice echoed off the walls. "**_Flow Break!!_**"

Like before, Nabooru was lined in white light, and her eyes changed color, and her balance wavered as Lydia's magic fought Ganondorf's in her head. However, she never loosened her grip on Saria. Saria couldn't squirm away. This, however, was her opportunity to slip the quiver off her back, and toss it and the bow away. She knew it would be best now back in Link's hands.

Nabooru recovered quickly. Her eyes were still red, and she still had an iron grip on the Kokiri. She looked at the three, confused at first, then determined again. "G-Give me the Triforce pieces!"

Lydia sighed quietly. At least now she had forgotten about the killing-Saria part.

After a moment, Nabooru sneered. "No? Then come and see us downstairs. You'll find this girl there. Come and play if you want her back! Master and I will be waiting!" Nabooru disappeared in a puff of smoke and flash of light, leaving the three adventurers alone in the room, all steaming mad.

Without saying a single word, Link silently walked ahead and retrieved his bow and quiver of arrows. He quickly rejoined the other two.

Lydia's eyes were glued toward her feet. "Ganondorf's gone too far this time."

Gordon silently agreed. "It was bad enough just coming after _us_ repeatedly, but now he's foolishly bringing innocent people into the tangle." His fists were clenched so tightly that he could feel his fingernails digging into the skin of his palm.

Link had a sudden thought. "She said 'Master and I'. You don't think......"

The sorcerer looked up suddenly. "Could...could Ganondorf himself be here?"

Link's jaw tightened. "If so, there's only one thing we can do."

Lydia nodded her head stiffly. "We go downstairs, meet with 'Master', and put a few fireballs in his ass!"

The three boarded the elevator at the same time and gave chase into the lower levels of the Forest Temple, determined to save Saria. 

Inside the crystal cage, Zelda sat quietly, thinking. She couldn't just sit here in Ganon's Tower anymore. Outside, other people were putting their very lives on the line for her kingdom and her people. While she was trapped here, she was useless.

But....did she have to go to such drastic measures?

Yes. It was the only way now.

With a heavy sigh, the princess gathered up the folds of her gown and found, strapped to her thigh, a long dagger. She had learned from her old attendant Impa to always carry a concealed dagger, even if there was never a need for it. Today, it was finally going to prove itself useful.

She loosened the dagger from the strap and let her gown fall around her legs again. She held the long blade in front of her, and looked at it with deep sadness in her eyes. Zelda looked up at Navi and nodded gravely.

The fairy fluttered her small wings in an understanding manner.

Zelda looked at the dagger again, took a deep breath, aimed the blade toward the front of her dress, and sent it home.


	23. Chapter 23

**_Worlds Apart  
Part II  
By Miss Lydia_****__**

**Chapter 23******

As Ganondorf climbed the circular staircase up to his tower, his fingers twitched nervously. Those kids were getting too far. The traps he had set long ago in the Water Temple should have made mince meat out of them. How is it that they've managed to survive everything? 

The Evil King was very tempted to go and finish them off himself. With the Triforce of Power....no, even _without_ the Triforce of Power, he was strong enough to kill them all. So, he wondered, why hadn't he? Why was he just staying in the confinement of his tower, throwing things at them from afar? Why doesn't he just walk up to them and smash them?

As he continued up toward the tower, he thought about that. After a few moments, he knew the answer, and even so, had a hard time admitting it to himself. 

The Hylian, called Link if he remembered correctly, was not of much concern. True, he possessed the legendary relic, the Master Sword, and the Triforce of Courage, but that was nothing to worry about. The young wizard boy, who he guessed had the Triforce of Wisdom, wasn't a worry, either. There was that large spell he had used that had demolished the Temple of Time, but other than that, his magic was not a point of concern.

So the reason he avoided the group of meddlers was.... Was it...? Yes....

It was the girl.

That she-devil of a sorceress was what he was worried about. Something about her made him very uneasy. She has no Triforce piece.... could it be the fact that her magic was very formidable when used to its full potential..? ...No, that wasn't why. 

He wasn't afraid of this girl, either. Not in the least. Yet there was something about her that put him on edge. Whenever he saw her or thought of her, some bell in the back of his mind always started going off. It had always been that way, ever since the very beginning, and even _more_ so when the group reunited after seven years of dormancy. Was there some hidden connection between himself and the girl? There couldn't be.....

Whatever the problem was, Ganondorf knew he wouldn't have to deal with it much longer. He had sent one of his most powerful minions to the kids' current location, the Forest Temple. It was a phantom in his own image. This was a powerful ally of his own creation that had managed to kill off that troublesome Deku Tree of the Kokiri people. He had sent Nabooru as well, to find a way to lead them to his servant in the Temple. They would never leave the Forest Temple. Once the job was done, he wouldn't have to worry about the witch girl anymore, or the other two for that matter. He'd just have to go the Temple and pick up the two Triforce pieces.

Finally, the Evil King reached the top of the tower, where he was still holding Princess Zelda captive. He took a small bit of comfort in the fact that he had a good slab of bait to lure those three kids here, should it ever come to that.

One look at the purple crystal cage told him otherwise. 

The princess was slumped at the bottom, with a dagger in her stomach. The front of her dress was stained red, and her right hand still had the handle of the knife in a weak grip.

"Damn," Ganondorf huffed. "That's no fun. She's done my work for me."

With a wave of his hand, the crystal cage slowly vanished, and the limp princess tumbled to the floor like a rag doll and lay still.

"That's just great," the Evil King continued. "Now I don't have my bait. I'll just have to wait for them to come on their own ...Well, I suppose I may as well get rid of her. Can't leave her there...."

A sly voice rang through the air and echoed off the walls. "_Master?_"

Ganondorf looked up toward the ceiling. "Yes, Nabooru?" Her minion was reporting to him through telepathic communication, even though anyone in the room with him would be able to hear. It didn't matter if Zelda heard this. She was dead.

"_I've captured a companion of those three kids, and am using her as bait to lure them to the guardian of the Forest Temple.. I have no doubt they will come - it was obvious that they care for this small girl very much._"

The Evil King nodded with satisfaction. "Well done, minion. Listen well now. When those kids reach the guardian, they will no doubt be drawn into battle with him. Do NOT interfere. When it is over and they are taken care of, notify me and protect the Triforce pieces until I can get there."

"_Yes, Master. Your wish is my command._" Her voice faded as the telepathic link was closed.

Having one worry off of his mind, Ganondorf sighed loudly. He turned and walked to where the princess lay, and picked her up. Carrying her under one arm, he walked to the window and looked down at the lava pit that lay below his castle. Yes, that would be the perfect grave.

With a good heave, he threw the dead princess as far as he could out the window, and immediately turned around and walked back into his tower. He had seen bodies melt away in lava before, and had grown bored with it. There was no point in watching. 

The body of Princess Zelda fell several stories down the length of the tower. The wind carried her close to the edge of the lava pit as she fell. Another few seconds and there wouldn't even be bones left.

Suddenly, her arm lashed out and grabbed a jutted part of the side of the cliff, stopping the fall. The rest of her body swung and hit the side of cliff, where her other arm found a handhold and held on. 

Zelda's eyes opened wide and looked down at the steaming lava, then up at the top of the cliff. It wasn't far up. Slowly, labored, she began climbing, taking the time to find secure handholds. It was a slow process that made her hands very sore, but after several minutes, Princess Zelda crawled to safety at the top of the cliff. 

She sat on her knees and breathed heavily. After a short moment of rest, she reached up and gripped the handle of the dagger, and slowly pulled it out. The blade was completely clean and unused. The red blood stain the front of her dress suddenly reduced in size, and actually started _moving_. It got smaller and smaller as it moved up her dress. It traveled up the front, and then down one of the sleeves. From the sleeve, Navi appeared, glowing an unnatural red color. 

The small fairy fluttered back and forth as she slowly returned to her normal white color. "You're so clever, Princess! Your plan worked perfectly!"

Zelda gathered the folds of her dress and replaced the dagger to its strap on her leg. Yes, it _had_ worked well.

When she had thrust the dagger toward herself, she had inserted it at a sharp angle, so that it went in the front of her dress, but went to the side, out of reach of any flesh. Navi had hidden in her dress and turned herself red, making the appearance of blood.

Zelda had never been expected to be thrown out of the window like that, but that turned out well, too. Her hands were sore and there was a hole in her dress, but she had escaped with her life.

Now she could finally help her friends.

The princess looked up at Navi. "We must make haste! Nabooru said that Link and the others are at the Forest Temple!"

"We have to get to them!" the fairy shouted.

Princess Zelda stood up and charged away from Ganondorf's Castle, toward the ruins of Hyrule Market, followed by the small white fairy. 

Up in the window of the Tower, sitting on the windowsill with a hand on his chin, Ganondorf watched them go.

"Hmmm...," he whispered to himself. "Maybe this will work out even _better_. Yes, run as fast as you can, tricky Princess Zelda. Go ahead and seal the fates of your friends for me." With an evil chuckle of confidence, Ganondorf stood and disappeared back into the darkness of his castle. 

The cramped little elevator had landed the three adventurers in a lower level of the Forest Temple. Ahead of them was long, dark hallway with a high ceiling. At the end was a large, golden colored stone door.

The trio nodded at each other. They didn't even need to say it. Their opponent was in there.

They set a quick pace through the hallway, staying close to each other, keeping their focus on the door ahead.

Without slowing, or ever turning his head, Gordon said, "Do you think Ganondorf could be in there?"

"If he is," Link replied, "I think we have a few things to say to him. We owe him something."

The sorcerer nodded. "We owe him a severe punishment."

Lydia cracked her knuckles and passed Link to walk in front of the group. "That's not the only thing," she said. "If Big Nose Ganondorf is in there, this battle is going to be rough. We should at least make a good entrance, to intimidate him and let him know that we're no longer afraid of him."

Link smiled. He knew exactly what she meant. She didn't want to open the door. She wanted to go _through _it.

Her brother knew it, too. "I think you deserve to do the honors." The sorcerer slowed down and walked beside Link.

Up in front, the sorceress rolled her sleeves up and smiled cockily. "Now you're speaking my language!" 

She quickened her step to increase the distance between herself and her companions, and to narrow the distance to the door. "_Wind which blows across eternity, gather in my hands and become my strength!_" She swung her whole arm at the door. "**Bram Gush!**"

The pressure in the hallway increased to a high level, then released all at once as a huge column of wind energy blew a huge hole through the stone doors. 

All three adventurers quickened to a sprint and charged through the smoking hole. Immediately inside, to the right, was a stairway. At the top, they found themselves in a circular room. The room was completely empty. No sign of Saria, Nabooru, or her Master. 

The strange feature of the room was immediately obvious. On the wall was a painting of a lonely forest road. And next to that, another painting that was exactly the same. And another, and another. In fact, the whole circle was lined with copies of the same painting.

Lydia couldn't help but sneer. "What lame decorations."

"It _is_ rather strange," Link agreed.

The group moved into the center of the circle and waited. There was nowhere else to go past this point – this room was a dead end. The next few moments were very uneventful, but each of the three repeatedly found themselves staring from picture to picture, for some uncanny reason.

At one point, Link whispered, "_Too_ strange."

They continued to wait, but Lydia's patience was long gone. "I know you're in here!!" she shouted out loud. "Come on out!"

Nothing.

The sorceress felt Link's hand land on her shoulder. "We should look elsewhere. I don't think they're here."

She looked at him, surprised. "That sounds funny, coming from you."

And then, something in Link's eyes changed. He gave her a really meaningful look that almost said_ I know what I'm doing_. Deciding to trust him on this, she and her brother turned around, and they started back the way they had come in.

As they approached the entrance to the room, spiked brass bars shot out of the floor and blocked the path.

"Wh-What the?" Gordon stuttered.

Behind them, back in the room, a horse snorted. 

All three adventurers whirled around and saw an enormous armored black war-horse, standing taller than even Epona. On its back was the Evil King Ganondorf himself, staring down at them with a cocky smirk. Under his left arm, he held little Saria, who was kicking and trying to break his grip.

Lydia and Gordon almost instinctively threw their hands into spell-firing position. "It's YOU!" Lydia shouted at him.

Link unsheathed the Master Sword. "I knew it! He was in here the whole time, just waiting for us to turn around!"

From atop the war-horse, Ganondorf waved a hand over his face, and a horned mask materialized there, and his eyes glowed. "Today, you die," he said evilly. He kicked the barrel of the horse, and it jumped and _hung_ in the air, floating there for a moment longer before flying across the room. One of the paintings dispelled into a portal, and the horse flew inside.

The portal closed, and the group watched Ganondorf ride off down the lonely forest road in the painting. 

"What the _hell_?" Gordon half-shouted as the horse disappeared into the picture's horizon.

They continued to watch the painting, but once the horse was gone, there was nothing. Suddenly, Link's voice rang out and he pointed to the left. "There!"

The black horse was charging toward them, from an entirely different painting. The trio gathered in front of the picture and waited for him to come out, all ready to attack.

At the last second, the horse turned around and ran back the way it had come.

"He's..," Lydia muttered, "He's running?"

Behind them, the sound of a portal opening was only heard by Link in the confusion. He twisted his neck in time to see the black horse jump out of yet another painting. Before he could warn the sorcerers, Ganondorf raised his lance and lighting charged across the room, hitting Lydia square in the back, sending her sailing into the wall.

And before anyone could retaliate, the horse flew into a painting and vanished again. Gordon kept his eye on the paintings, waiting. 

"Damn it!" Link shouted as he helped Lydia stand again. "What happened?"

Gordon shook his head, indicating that he didn't know. He raised an arm warningly as the horse appeared in a new painting, riding toward them.

Once Lydia had convinced him that she was all right, Link moved closer to Gordon and prepared to attack Ganondorf once he came out.

The sorceress's voice pierced their ears suddenly. "What are you two doing?? He's over _there!_"

They turned and looked where she was pointing. Another Ganondorf on horseback was riding toward the room from a second painting. 

There were _two_ of them.

The first one they had spotted turned around and ran back into the painting, but the second one shot out of a portal and swung its lance again, spreading electricity as it flew over. Another bolt of lighting struck Lydia, and she hit the ground again. None of them had time to attack before Ganondorf was in another painting and gone.

Right away, he was riding back through a painting. Each time, it was happening faster. Two Ganondorfs approached, one turned back, and one shot back into the room. With a swing of the lance, another attack slammed Lydia into the wall. This time, she didn't get up.

From the sidelines, hidden mostly by magic, Nabooru watched the drama unfold from the shadows. Such silly people. Master Ganondorf's phantom was going to finish them off. She remembered that Master had told this phantom to concentrate on the female whenever it attacks. She had asked why, and he had said that he had a "funny feeling" about the girl and wanted her dead. It pleased her to see that Master Ganondorf's plan was working very well. That girl wouldn't be able to take much more of this punishment.

But, at the same time, some little voice in the back of her mind nagged her. She stood there, watching the witch girl being hammered, as Master Ganondorf had ordered...and each time she got hit, something was yelling at Nabooru to step in and help. As if she had some sort of reason to help the girl that Master Ganondorf wanted destroyed so badly. Why did she feel so...angry...to watch this girl get attacked?

Nabooru immediately scolded herself. How stupid! She wanted the girl destroyed as much as Master Ganondorf did! She wanted _all_ of them destroyed! ......Didn't she? Why did watching this _bother_ her so?

The Gerudo woman continued to watch. She watched the young wizard boy preparing to attack, looking around him frantically. She watched the Hylian tend to the girl, visibly upset that she was being hurt so much. She watched the phantom fly out of a painting again, still carrying the small girl in green that she had captured for him. She watched the phantom attack the witch girl with electricity once again.

What's _this_? Did that Hylian actually jump in the way and take the attack in her place? How is it possible that he could have just done that? Master Ganondorf told her that these people were vile creatures that didn't care for anything, let alone one another! What was this behavior she was witnessing?

Now the human boy was with the other two. They all seemed to be discussing something. After a very short moment, the girl painfully stood up. Nabooru felt slightly relieved to see her stand again.

_WHAT?_ Relief?? WHY would she feel relieved? That girl must have done something to her with her magic! It was warping her mind! 

Now all three of them were on the edges of the circle, separated into a triangle. What were they doing? 

"Ready?" Link shouted.

"Ready!" the two sorcerers replied. 

Gordon held a ball of light between his hands. Lydia, holding her wounded side with one hand, used her other hand to summon a spell of her own. Link sheathed the Master Sword, and crouched on the ground, ready to pounce.

Again, two Ganondorfs appeared in paintings. One turned back, and the second flew out of its portal and across the room. When it reached the center of the room, the trio set their thrown-together plan into action. 

What happened next all happened in the span of less than two seconds.

Lydia threw up her arm. "**Dark Claw!**" Small insect-shaped balls of black light shot from her palm and rocketed through the arm Ganondorf was holding Saria with. The Evil King didn't seem to notice the pain, but his arm reacted to it and loosened, allowing the Kokiri girl to fall.

That's when Link made his move. In a single bound, he flew through the air and grabbed Saria as she fell. Link hit the ground and rolled clear of the lighting attack, holding Saria protectively.

Before Link had even landed after his jump, Gordon had leapt from his place at the perimeter of the room. Once Link had rolled clear, the sorcerer reared his arm back. "**Fireball!**" He hit Ganondorf at point-blank range, right in the head. Ganondorf was knocked clear off the horse, and took to just flying up near the ceiling. The war-horse continued its flight across the room and disappeared into one of the paintings.

Gordon landed on the ground near the other side of the room, keeping one eye on Ganondorf, who was hovering motionlessly near the ceiling. Their plan, while very slapped-together, worked perfectly. Now Saria was safe, and they didn't have to hold back. But Link's angry shout put a damper on the success. 

"Oh, _dammit!_"

The sorcerer turned and immediately found the source of the Hylian's anger. The plan had worked _almost _perfectly. Ganondorf, in the middle of the high-speed attacks, had thrown his own lighting attack, and it had been directed at Lydia once again. She hadn't been able to move in time. She was down, and this time out cold.

Link was there first. Saria squirmed out of his grasp and tried to shake the sorceress awake again. Gordon was there quickly, as well. It was quite obvious that his sister was badly hurt.

Ganondorf's attack pattern was obvious. All of his attacks had been directed at _her_. Just her! _Why_?

The sorcerer looked up at Link. His blond hair was hiding his eyes, but his teeth were clenched and his fists were trembling with anger. He loosened his jaw just enough to speak. "Take care of her." 

While Gordon started using a healing spell, Link stood stiffly, and angrily yanked the Master Sword free of its sheath. He stood protectively in front of the other three, and looked at Ganondorf in a very challenging way.

Ganondorf was lower now, and was raising his lance to attack.

Link didn't move at _all_.

The Evil King raised his lance, and a small ball of black light formed at the tip. He brought the lance down, and the ball screamed through the air toward them.

Link still didn't move.

Gordon got worried. That energy was coming closer, and Link wasn't doing anything! He knew he couldn't stop this healing spell mid-way to throw up a defense barrier for him! _God, Link, do something!! _

Just as the ball of black light was about to hit, Link suddenly let loose a loud shout of anger, and all of his adrenaline pumped into his arms as he swung the Master Sword. The blade hit the black ball head on, and actually deflected it. Link followed through with the swing and sent the small attack sailing into the far wall.

Gordon, Saria, _and_ Ganondorf all stared. What an incredible move!

Not wasting a second, Ganondorf prepared another black ball and sent it sailing toward Link. The Hylian swung the Sword and sent the ball straight back. But this time, Ganondorf swung the lance and hit it back again. Link hit the ball back as well. Gordon and Saria watched with open mouths as Link and Ganondorf played tennis with this ball of black energy, until Link worked up some power and _slammed_ the ball past Ganondorf and into the wall.

The sorcerer had never seen anything so impressive. Link's anger was being converted into vicious attacks! Still using one hand to hold the healing spell and using the other arm to hold his sister off the floor, he felt her stir slightly. 

Ganondorf's color seemed to change completely, and he threw the lance to the side. He threw both of this arms in the air and generated a much larger ball of energy.

As Saria hugged his waist in fear, Gordon felt ready to panic. There was NO way Link would be able to deflect this, and he couldn't stop mid-spell to help him! They were all in serious trouble! 

Link knew this, too. When Ganondorf reared back both arms and threw the huge spell down on them, he crossed his arms in front of his face, preparing to take the attack head on. 

He felt a sudden rush of wind, and the spell was deflected into several directions just before it hit. Up near the ceiling, Ganondorf grunted in anger and surprise. Link slowly lowered his arms in time to catch the fading light of a magical defense barrier in front of him.

He turned around and saw Lydia, half-awake and sitting up. One arm was planted on the ground to support herself, and the other was extended toward him. A little ball of light was in her palm, slowly dimming as the magic dissipated. Once it was gone, she passed out and collapsed into her brother's arms again, completely exhausted. Her brother continued the healing right away.

Link's mouth fell open. _She was nearly killed and she STILL tries to protect me! _

A fire lit in Link's gut just then, and it grew to an inferno as Ganondorf prepared an identical spell above them. He turned back toward Ganondorf with fiery eyes, and held the handle of the Sword so tightly that his knuckles turned white under the gauntlets. 

Ganondorf reared his arms back to throw the spell. With an almost animalistic roar, he threw the energy down on them. 

A light flashed, and Link's hair blew away from his forehead. The symbol for the Triforce of Courage was glowing there, and the Master Sword was covered in a thick coat of white light. He swung the sword hard, and the blade sunk into the spell momentarily. Link followed through, and the spell sailed right back into Ganondorf, knocking him down to the ground. In a flash, Link was on him again, leaping into the air with the sword held high. 

"_Dddiiiieeeee!!_" he bellowed with anger, and brought the Sword down, releasing the power of the Triforce of Courage. The entire room was filled with yellow energy, and in the midst of it all, Ganondorf roared in pain and anguish.

When the light dimmed, Ganondorf was on the ground, slowly disintegrating. In the center of the room, a purple-black portal appeared on the floor and Ganondorf was slowly being sucked into it. 

Then, everyone heard Ganondorf's voice.

"_It seems you kids may be gaining some slight skill..._" he said. _"But you have defeated only my phantom. When you fight the real me, it will not be so easy_." The phantom was now being sucked completely into the portal. "_What a worthless creation that ghost was! I will banish it to the gap between dimensions!_" In another flash, both Ganondorf's voice and the phantom Ganondorf were gone, and the portal disappeared. 

The room was completely quiet, except for the quiet humming of Gordon's healing spell and Link's heavy breathing.

"After all that," Link whispered, mainly to himself, "that was only a phantom?"

Suddenly, he heard Lydia's voice. 

"Yeah, be glad you're not here!" she shouted, apparently at Ganondorf. "You'd be getting a taste of my secret weapon right about now, you bastard!!"

Unable to hide his relief, he spun around. Lydia was sitting up again, shooing Gordon's hands away as politely as possible. "Thanks, man. You're tired. Take a break – I can handle it from here."

All in one movement, Link sheathed the Sword, bounded over, dropped to a knee, and wrapped his arms around Lydia, so relieved that his attempt not to cry was failing slightly. 

Gordon smiled and backed off a bit. Saria was looking at them wide-eyed. The sorcerer took her hand and whispered to her. "Why don't we wait over there?" he asked, pointing toward the center of the room, where the all-too-familiar circle of blue light was beginning to appear. Before Saria could even answer, he pulled her away.

Lydia, on the other hand, was so shocked that all she could think to do was hug him back, even though it really hurt to do so. Gordon's healing spell had probably saved her life, but she was still hurting. Link was obviously hurting _inside_.

"Thank the goddesses, you're all right," he whispered in her ear.

That one hit Lydia almost like a punch in the gut. He really _does_ care! She thought quickly. "Uh, of _course_ I'm all right," she replied, almost cockily. "It takes more than that to....." Without finishing the sentence, her voice softened. "Thanks."

Gordon stood with Saria next to the blue light, watching them with admiration. He felt Saria tug on his shirt. Her face was turned up toward him, and she was smiling. "Miss Lydia.....is she Link's girlfriend?"

The sorcerer smiled back at her. "Sometimes, it's hard to tell."

Saria looked down again and watched them. "I don't think it is."

The two watched as Link finally let go of Lydia. The sorceress placed her hands in front of her own chest and activated a small ball of sparkling white light – a healing spell. Link slid one arm around her back and the other under her knees, and lifted her off the ground. He walked over and joined the two that were waiting for them.

Gordon, still smiling, waited another moment before saying anything. Finally, he gestured toward the blue light. "Mission accomplished. Shall we go?"

Saria kept a tight grip on Gordon's hand as all four crammed into the blue circle and vanished from the room in the Forest Temple. Everything faded to white. 

The white light soon faded, and the group found themselves once again in the center of the Chamber of Sages. The seemingly endless "wet" room stretched out around them in all of its beauty.

Gordon immediately noticed something funny about his hand. He looked down at it, and found that Saria was no longer gripping it. In fact, she had disappeared completely. "Wh-Where's Saria?" he asked openly.

Link twisted around, looking around for her. Saria was gone! "Wasn't she right with us?"

Lydia, still holding her healing spell in place, was smiling and looking over to the side. "Oh, don't worry. She's right over there." 

The two boys looked where she was looking. Standing atop the medallion of the Forest Sage was little Saria, smiling from ear-to-ear.

Gordon couldn't help but smile, too. For some reason, he wasn't really surprised.

"Saria?" Link called. "You're the Forest Sage?"

The Kokiri girl nodded slowly. "I knew you all would be able to help me. Link, I expected no less from you."

Link had one of those aw-shucks smiles cross his face.

"Now that the curse on the Forest Temple is broken," Saria continued, "the monsters filling Kokiri Forest will decrease in number and power, but the Forest will never be fully the same again unless something is done for the Deku Tree. The Deku Tree was the power behind the eternal peace of the Forest. So I ask of you all, if anything is possible for the Deku Tree, please help him." She smiled again. "Miss Lydia, please get well. Mr. Gordon, I hope I see you again soon." Everything around them faded to white again as they were transported out of the Chamber of Sages. Saria's voice lingered behind them. "Link, I will always be your friend..."

In the dark Tower, Ganondorf watched the shadows slowly retreat from the east side of Hyrule. That stupid phantom hadn't been able to defeat the kids in the Forest Temple. He couldn't even complete the main objective of killing that witch girl. She HAD to be killed! She was a key to the whole thing somehow!

Behind him, he felt the presence of a piece of his own magic. Nabooru materialized in the room, walked close, and bowed in a troubled manner.

"...Master..." she began, but was cut off by Ganondorf.

"The phantom failed, I know," he said darkly. 

"And...And the girl managed to survive, Master. But when I left the battle, she had been badly hurt. She was helped by..."

Ganondorf cut her short again. "The girl is not invincible. If she had been alone, she would have died. As long as she's accompanied by those other two, I'll never be able to kill her! I have to go after her when she's alone, and least expecting an attack. The timing will be very tricky." He frowned sharply. "Something inside of me is warning me about her. She _must_ die."

Slyly, Ganondorf's mouth tugged up into a smile. "Princess Zelda, you are the key to the girl. Do me a favor while you're out there, and separate the witch from her friends. Seal their fates for me!"

Ganon's Tower almost shook from the magnitude of his insane laughter. 

The Forest Temple in the Sacred Meadow was now quiet once more. The giant Moblins that had patrolled the maze had disappeared with the destruction of the phantom Ganondorf. Dark shadows that haunted the area were slowly retreating. Outside of the Temple, on the elevated Triforce platform, a blue column of light settled. 

Gordon, Link, and Lydia dropped from the sky and settled gently on the platform. Lydia was finishing up with her spell as the two boys stepped off the platform. Gordon was rather troubled. 

"What could we possibly do for the Deku Tree?" he wondered aloud. "Mido said he's been dead for a few months now. Do we have the power to help?"

Holding the spell firmly still, Lydia smiled at her brother. "You should know by now, sir, that the three of us have the power to do almost anything!"

Her brother turned and smiled at her. "Gotta love that can-do spirit of yours."

His sister smirked, and slowly, the white healing spell faded and disappeared. She looked up at Link, who looked like he knew what she was going to say. "I think I'm okay now. You can put me down."

Link's whole forehead wrinkled up. "Are you _sure_ you're all right now?" 

Lydia nodded. "I think so. I wanna walk."

The Hylian gently set her down, and kept a grip on her arm as she tested her weight on her legs.

Gordon suddenly thought of something else as he watched his sister recover. "I know it's already painfully obvious, but that phantom attacked _you_, and only _you_. Does that strike you as odd?"

Link snarled and looked at the ground. The thought of what happened in the Forest Temple was still angering.

The sorceress rested her chin in one of her hands. "It _is_ rather odd. Ganondorf wants us _all_ dead, I know that. But all those attacks were concentrated on _me_...as if he suddenly has some serious grudge against me." 

Before the matter could be discussed any further, a small voice suddenly rang out in the distance, back in the maze. "Come on, almost there! The Forest Temple is just ahead!"

Link's mouth fell open. "That....That sounds like..."

Lydia finished for him. "That sounds like your bug!"

"Navi?" Gordon asked aloud.

Sure enough, Navi appeared at the end of the maze and fluttered near the top of the huge stairway that had once been guarded by the huge Moblin with the club.

"But....," Lydia said, "Wasn't Navi with..."

A figure, bent in exhaustion, appeared at the top of the stairs, and froze when it saw the trio standing there. The trio, the fairy, and the figure all recognized each other at the same time.

It was Princess Zelda. 

No words were exchanged. Just a bustle of tears, laughter, and group hugs. Zelda clung to the three adventurers like a security blanket. Over the commotion, Gordon shouted happily. "How did you escape??"

Zelda laughed and hugged him again. "I tricked the Evil King! He believes me to be dead!"

The princess quickly told them the story, and in turn, the trio told Zelda all that they had done up this point after she had been captured.

Lydia smiled happily. "This day would be perfect if we could just fix the Deku Tree!"

Zelda suddenly stopped. "The Deku Tree? Yes! Yes! You can help the Deku Tree! You can!"

"How?" Link asked. "He's been dead for—"

"It doesn't matter! We have two Triforce pieces on our side! Please, let's go!" The princess turned and ran back toward the forest maze so quickly that the trio had no choice but to follow her. 

The Kokiri peeked out of their houses, still afraid to come out. They watched the four people dash out of the Lost Woods, then through their village. They disappeared through a path. Wasn't that the path to the Deku Tree?

Slowly, shyly, the Kokiri emerged from their houses. The monsters were much fewer in number and easy to avoid. The Kokiri gathered into a group and all followed the four people toward the Deku Tree, feeling very protective of his remains. 

Mido led the group. He had recognized all four of those people, and reassured his fellow Kokiri that they wouldn't do any damage. Still, the Kokiri followed them down the path, overcome with curiosity.

The trio, now quartet, stood below the half-rotted Deku Tree. It was a pitiful sight, especially for Link, who was used to seeing him alive and healthy. Lydia walked forward a bit, still limping slightly. "What can we do, Zelda?" she asked.

Zelda wasn't looking at her. She was looking back to where they had come from. "It seems we've attracted a crowd of spectators."

The other three turned. The entrance to the Deku Tree's small meadow was jammed with Kokiri. All of them had followed them in to watch. 

The princess turned away from the small Kokiri and concentrated on their task once again. "Listen closely. You must each concentrate your energies on the remaining life energy left in the Deku Tree. Only by seizing the remains of this energy and sharing your power with it will you help the Deku Tree. Link, you must use the Triforce of Courage. Gordon, the Triforce of Wisdom. Lydia, use the power in your rune. It won't be quite the same, but it will certainly help."

The trio nodded confidently, understanding well what they had to do. They stood apart in front of the Tree, each concentrating. 

The symbol for the Triforce of Courage shone on Link's forehead. Gordon's head bore the symbol of the Triforce of Wisdom.

"_Lord of Darkness and the Four Worlds, I call upon you, grant me all the power you possess._" From her end of the event, Lydia's Sorcerer's Rune shone with light of brilliant colors. 

From each of the three, a column of light rose high into the sky. Columns of their magical energy. The light rose and focused into one point high above the Deku Tree. It all gathered into a brilliant ball of magic and light, which slowly dropped into the Deku Tree's branches.

The effect was absolute. Immediately, the branches of the tree began to thicken and sprout new leaves. The trunk of the great Tree solidified and slowly turned to a healthy color. Small fairy life forms began fluttering around it, announcing the presence of life in this meadow once again.

Behind the group, the Kokiri were going _wild_. They were cheering, jumping, and carrying on with excitement. Their home had been saved! The Deku Tree was living again! The small people ran up to the group and mobbed them with hugs and thanks of appreciation. 

Gordon and Zelda worked on herding the kids up and shooing them out of the meadow. "The Deku Tree is still very weak and needs to rest," Zelda told them. She wasn't lying, either. It would take time for the Tree to recover completely. They had just given him a head start.

Link and Lydia remained behind, still looking up at the newly revived Deku Tree. Link's teary eyes were locked up on the Deku Tree, the one that had saved him when he was an infant, taking him in to raise him as a Kokiri. The one that had cared for him so much back then was alive again. "I..I just don't believe it! He's....he's really okay...."

Lydia smiled happily. "And now the day is complete." Without further words, she reached over and held Link's hand. 

Near the entrance of the meadow, Zelda smiled as she watched them. She leaned over to Gordon and whispered, "So that's how it is, huh?"

This time, Gordon replied to that question with more confidence. "That's how it is." 

After another moment, Lydia bounded over to them, happy as a clam, with Link close behind. She threw her fist in the air and shouted. "Three temple monsters have been trashed and Princess Zelda is safe! There's no way we'll lose this fight now! We've got Ganondorf on the run! Let's keep up the pace, everybody, and we'll save Hyrule!"

The other three threw their fists up as well and contributed their own shouts of enthusiam. The Kokiri had herded back into the meadow, and were crowding around them. They all joined in by jumping and shouting along with them.

The sun began to set on the revived Deku Tree and the whole world seemed to quiet. Slowly and steadily, bit by bit, peace was returning to the land of Hyrule.


	24. Chapter 24

Okay, before I get started with Chapter 24, I just wanted to take a moment to thank my readers.   
  
_Worlds Apart_ has not been an easy thing to write. What I have up now took me a year and a half to write. It's just been something I've done between homework and chores. It started out as just an idea that I starting typing into a story because I was bored one day. Well, maybe two or three chapters, and that'll be it. Hah. Was I ever wrong. I started, but couldn't stop I just kept going, and believe it or not, I've been writing as I go. But it wasn't made public until very recently because, well, I was shy. Afraid that people would think it was stupid. I mean, really, what kind of weirdo would put herself into a videogame-related story? That's just weird.   
  
For the bulk of that year and a half, the only other person who was allowed to read the story was my younger brother Gordon, for the obvious reason that he's in it, too. He read Chapter 1 – which only featured Lydia, really - just after I wrote it and said I should be in it, too! Well, you see what happened. He kept nagging me and nagging me that this HAD to be shared with the rest of the world. It was too good to hide on my hard drive like this! But I never did because I was too scared. Finally, I started uploading it one chapter at a time  
  
Apparently, there wasn't any grounds for such fright.. In fact, _Worlds Apart_ has been a far bigger hit than I could have ever imagined. Reading your happy reviews has just made my days for me, especially this week, when times are hard for me. I love you guys, and I'll work hard to keep bringing you quality installments to _Worlds Apart_. Happy reading, and may the Triforce be with you always. Thank you, thank you.

Cheers,  
_Miss Lydia_

P.S. Link says thanks, too.

*****

  
**Worlds Apart  
Part II  
By Miss Lydia**

Chapter 24

There it was. The gravestone.

The gravestone.

Lydia looked at it with a sneer curling at the corner of her mouth. Under this gravestone was the ghost of Dampé the gravekeeper, whom she had various opinions about. She was in the Kakariko Graveyard, running a small errand for Link. In one hand, she held the Hookshot. She thought back on how she had ended up _here, of all the places in Hyrule. _

Lydia, will you take this back to Dampé? Link had asked her that morning, holding out the Hookshot. I don't need it anymore. 

The first thing she did was laugh out loud. Are you CRAZY? she had half-shouted back at him. You're asking ME to go back to that old codger?? He likes you! YOU give it back!

Link only shook his head at her. The old guy likes you, too, he had said with a smile, and besides, Gordon and I are going to escort Zelda to Lon-Lon Ranch. Malon will let her stay there for the time being. While we're gone, you can return the Hookshot. And this is a chance for you two to get to know each other better.

I don't _need to know him better--! He __lives to scare me! ...Or, rather not __lives, I guess...he's dead after all. But __still!! Nothing you say or do will make me go! ForGET it!_

That was when the killing shot came. Link had thrown Lydia's own special attack back at her. He gave her a _really good imitation of her own Bambi Eyes, as her father had once called it. She had no idea that he could do the Bambi Eyes so well, but it worked – she was out of the house and on her way to the graveyard before she even realized that anything had happened. She could hear both Link and Gordon laughing inside the house as she left the village._

So there she was, standing in front of the gravestone that led to Dampé's afterworldly dwelling. She was no longer thinking about how well Link had used her own tactics against her to get his way. She was thinking about how this reunion with the old codger ghost would go. She shook her head.

I'll get back at Long Ears for this, I swear.

With that, she secured the Hookshot to her sword's sheath and shoved the old gravestone aside. Or at least, _tried to. The thing was __heavy! And Link had made it look so easy the first time. He must have more strength than she originally thought._

She turned around and leaned her back on the stone and pushed, keeping her heels buried in the dirt. Slowly, the stone gave way a little bit. Then a little more, then a little more.

And then, all at once.

The stone fell free suddenly and slid across the grass quickly. So quickly in fact that Lydia didn't have enough time to recover her balance and tumbled backward through the hole in the ground. She was so shocked that she didn't think to cast a levitation spell and landed hard on her backside on the stone floor below. In surprise of the whole thing, she fell back so that she lay stretched out on the stone floor. 

She stayed like that for several moments, looking up at the hole in the ceiling she had fallen through. Finally, Lydia raised her head and looked around. This was the stone room where they had come the first time. The old ghost had to be there somewhere.

She could have tried to stand up then, but was thinking instead, staring above her again. Why had the stone moved like that?? It hadn't done that when Link moved it! ...It must have been an trick by old Dampé, just to bug her. He probably saw her coming and rigged the stone, just to play with her head. _I'll get him for that!_

Then, she sat up and tried to stand. Pain shot through her legs as she tried to straighten because she had landed on her backside so hard. She threw her head back and shouted out loud.

_Ooo-ooowwww!! It hurts!! It's YOUR fault, old man!! Come out! I know you're in here somewhere! I have a thing or two to say to ya!_

She felt kinda stupid sitting there holding a healing spell on her rear end, but it had to be done if she was going to stand up and kick the crap out of the codger, she figured. 

After a few moments, she was as good as new and standing, staring at the walls defiantly, _daring the old man to show his face. At first, nothing happened. It was quiet – deathly quiet – in the little chamber, save for her own angry breathing._

It was like that for several minutes. Lydia decided that if nothing happened in the next few seconds, she'd just put the Hookshot on the floor and leave. Actually, she was _hoping nothing would happen. She'd rather avoid an encounter with the old man if she could help it._

_Booga booga! Blaaahh!!_

Lydia straightened up, stiff as a board, white as a sheet, but she managed not to scream. She somehow managed to keep it down in her gut. She sucked in a breath, slowly turned around, and looked at the shade of Dampé the gravekeeper. His gums were bared in their full glory as he smiled mischievously as her.

The sorceress dug far into herself to try to come up with something stabbing to say to the old man, but all she could do was wave her finger at him with her mouth open as he stared at her. Eventually, she gave up and just said, 

Dampé just floated there with his lantern and continued to stare. He smiled and said, Look at what?

After leaving it there for another moment, Lydia dropped her finger with a sigh. 

The old ghost laughed at her. How nice of you to come visit me! How are things up in the world of the living? Are you and your little boyfriend Link getting along?

Ah, I see. _Very well, the shade said with a gummy smirk. He then changed the subject, because the girl looked ready to punch something. What can I do for you?_

The sorceress shook with anger and frustration. First of all, old man, Link is not my boyfriend.

Yes, he is.

No, he's not.

Yes, he is.

No, he's _not._

Yes, he—

_Shut up or you're not getting your Hookshot!!_

Dampé's eyes lit up. Oh? You have the Hookshot?

The sorceress sighed loudly and unhooked the tool from her sheath. _Yes, I have your Hookshot. During the course of our, uh, travels, Link found something even more useful, so we don't need it anymore. He asked me to return it and thank you again._

The old ghost slid his translucent hand around the Hookshot and took it from her. As Lydia stood there trying to figure out how he was even able to hold it at all, he said Well, he's welcome again. Anytime. He waved the hand that held the Hookshot, and the tool disappeared. 

The shade grinned again. So! Now that I've put it away, what say we have a race?

Lydia shook her head in disgust. She had agreed to, or rather Link had _tricked her into returning the Hookshot. That's __it. No racing was in the agreement. She found that satisfying. There was no need to hang around here any longer._

Nope. Not racing.

Dampé looked hurt. Aw, why not? That's no fun!

Because last time it was dark and confusing and there were Redeads. And because I don't have the time right now. I'm tired and hungry...and my butt still hurts. I have _you to thank for that._

The old man just snickered. That told Lydia that he _was the one to thank._

Please? Just one race! he pressed.

The sorceress opened her mouth to spit out more excuses to get herself out of it, but something distracted her just then. Back above ground, a ways off in the distance, was a deep rumbling sound that shook the ground slightly, even down in Dampé's grave. It was like a minor earthquake. 

Lydia looked around worriedly. Earthquakes don't happen in Hyrule!

As quickly as it started, the tremor ended, leaving the area quiet again.

As Dampé floated next to her, Lydia looked back up through the hole in the ceiling. What was _that?_

You can find out after you race me! the old man said.

Lydia's head flopped down in anger. She raised it again quickly and shouted. I'm NOT racing you right now, old man! I have other business to attend to! Ray Wing! She shot up toward the ceiling and through the hole. She didn't notice Dampé when he waved his hand. She didn't notice what he was doing until it was too late.

There was a muffled crash up in the tunnel, and then the sorceress's distant voice.

.....the _hell? Who put this gravestone back??_

Back in the room, Dampé chuckled and shouted up to her. Race me, won't you?

After a moment of awkward silence, Lydia reappeared through the tunnel as she lowered herself slowly back to the floor, painfully holding her head. She had hit that thing full on.

You blocked my way, you old codger!

The old man gummed his weird smile at her. 

Lydia looked like she was ready to let loose a Dragon Slave. Angrily, she began to shout. FINE FINE FINE FINE!! I'll run your stupid race!! She took in a long breath and silently counted to ten to calm herself down. Really fast, then I'm leaving.

Dampé nodded. Fair's fair. He then turned and shot down the hallway, just like he had done the first time.

Lydia immediately broke into a run and gave chase, thinking fast. What had that tremor been all about? They'd been in Hyrule for quite a while, and nothing had ever happened like _that before. She had to finish the race quickly and then get back to Kakariko._

Suddenly, she realized how easy that would be. Dampé hadn't played fair, doing cheap tricks with that gravestone. Link wasn't there, so there was nothing to stop Lydia from being a little unfair as well. A smile curled at her lips.

Ray Wing!

It was only seconds before she was flying right alongside the old man. He turned to her and his mouth dropped open. Wh-What the--?

She smiled evilly at him. I said I'd run your race, but I didn't mean to literally _run it. Like you said... Fair's fair._

Dampé's translucent lips pressed together and he increased his speed to match hers. They each fought to keep the lead as they whizzed around turns and bends. This time, Lydia didn't even have to bother with the Redeads along the path. The two were flying so fast that they just blew past the zombies before they had a chance to even move. 

As they closed on the home stretch, Lydia sneered to herself. This was taking too long – she had to get back to town. NOW. As soon as the final room came into view up ahead, she casted a quick spell. _Lord of Darkness and the Four Worlds, grant me the power you possess! Ray WING! With a burst of energy from the Sorcerer's Rune, Lydia used the Ray Wing spell like never before and __blasted ahead of Dampé. She swooped up the circular room and through the final door where Dampé had ended the race last time. _

Although, she wasn't used to using the Ray Wing spell to such extremes, and ended up smashing into the inside wall.

Several moments later, Dampé floated up and into the end room. He found Lydia sprawled on her back on the floor, groaning loudly. Above her, the wall was cracked where she had hit. The ghost laughed and moved to hover just above her head. That's whatcha get for cheating.

Lydia opened her eyes and tilted her head to look at him. _Cheating? Yeah, right! Did you __run that race? No! She rolled over and slowly stood up, trying to regain her bearings. All right, you old fruit, I ran your little race. Happy now? Can I go?_

Dampé laughed and nodded. That was very entertaining and challenging. Thanks for making my day. I hope you visit me again sometime. Bye bye! He vanished in a puff of white vapor, leaving Lydia alone with her aching muscles and annoyances.

She ground her teeth for a moment, then found the stairway in the back of the room. The first time they had been there, a large blue block had blocked these stairs. Link made it disappear with his Ocarina, and it was still gone, so Lydia just jumped up the ledge and sprinted upstairs. This would lead her right back to the windmill in Kakariko, then she'd track down the boys at Lon Lon if they weren't back yet. She was curious to know if anyone else had felt that weird tremor a while back.

About halfway up the stairs, a strange smell hit Lydia's nose. It wasn't something she got the chance to smell very often, but it was _very distinguishable._

Smoke.

She quickened her pace to find that the upper parts of the stair case were filled with smoke. Something was on fire! Coughing, she held her hand over her nose and bolted to the top and into the windmill. What she saw made the panic rise in her. _Something wasn't just on fire, __everything was on fire! The inside of the windmill was completely engulfed._

Lydia was so shocked by what she saw that she didn't even realize that she was in serious danger from the smoke and flames that swirled around her. She didn't even notice until she began to feel lightheaded from the smoke. Time to move or she'd never get out.

Flare Seal!

Once she had protected herself from the flames, Lydia jumped down to the bottom of the windmill, right into the sea of fire. She held her arms out in front of her face as she ran through the flames. It seemed like an eternity before she finally reached the door, coughing and sweating. The door was shut tight, but it was half-burnt through. She backed up several steps, raised her arms in front of her head, then charged at the door, plowing right through it, sending smoldering splinters in every direction.

Lydia stumbled outside, coughing something horrible, and gripped the nearby fence for support. Eyes tightly closed and bent over, she felt like she was going to cough up one of her lungs. She had never seen so much smoke and fire in one place before!

Once the coughing fit passed, Lydia finally opened her eyes and looked up. Immediately she wanted to close them again, but couldn't take her eyes from the horrible sight. Almost every building in Kakariko Village was ablaze. Fire and heat was everywhere. Villagers were running in all directions, in complete panic and chaos. Her heart fell into about 258 pieces, give or take a few. She was so shocked and horrified that she couldn't even move.

Until she saw them.

Down on the ground a distance away, in front of the their house, Gordon was crouched down, waving madly at her, trying to get her attention. Link was sprawled on the ground next to him, seemingly out cold and hurt. Near the entrance of the village, a humongous shadow hovered on the grass. It was purple in color and resembled the static that appeared on a bad television channel. And it was closing on the boys fast. At first, she just stared. It wasn't until Gordon jumped in front of Link and prepared to throw a spell that her head cleared. She leapt up onto the fence and took flight. She didn't know what that purple thing was, but it was clobbering time! 

----

Are you certain that this is all right? Princess Zelda asked.

The farm girl Malon smiled brightly. Of _course it's all right, your highness. I need some company anyway. It gets awfully quiet here during the day. It's nice to talk to the horses, but they don't really carry a good conversation._

Link smiled. Even after seven years, Malon was still Malon. She hadn't changed a bit.

Bringing the princess to Lon Lon ranch had been Gordon's idea, originally. If Ganondorf ever found out that Princess Zelda really hadn't committed suicide, the _first place he would look for her would be with them. The ranch would be safer. No place in Hyrule was really safe with Ganondorf around, but the ranch was the best choice. In the meantime, Lydia was supposed to be with Dampé returning the Hookshot. Now that he had the Longshot, as they all had begun to call it, the old man could have it back. Link just hoped that Lydia wouldn't give the old guy too many problems._

Or vice versa.

Malon, I really appreciate this, Link said, placing one hand on the farm girl's shoulder.

In turn, the red haired girl laughed and patted his cheek playfully. Just about anything you ask of me at this point is all right, Fairy Boy. After all, if you hadn't taken Epona from Mr. Ingo, he wouldn't have changed.

At the recognition of her name, Epona neighed happily and tucked her long nose under Link's chin.

Malon had told them everything when they had arrived. Apparently, right after Link had won the race with Ingo and taken Epona away, the stringy man had been so embarrassed and ashamed that he had just gone back to the way he had been before Ganondorf influenced him. He no longer abused the animals, he treated Malon like a princess, and Talon was back in the ranch-owner position. Everything was back to normal.

Gordon seemed satisfied with her reply. After everything, he understood why she would want to do favors for them. The sorcerer then turned to Zelda and said, I'm not sure how long you'll have to be here. If there are any problems, you know where to find us.

The princess nodded. Of course. And don't worry about me. I'll stay here and earn my keep. She smiled at Malon, who smiled back. Everything is taken care of. Her face then turned more solemn. ......What is your next target?

Link moved away from Malon to stand with Gordon. I don't think we're entirely sure yet. It's been a few days since we beat the phantom Ganondorf and revived the Deku Tree. I think we've had adequate rest. Time to move on.

Gordon nodded in agreement. Do you know what the other temples are? he asked Zelda.

Zelda put one finger to her lip in thought for a moment, then spoke. You've broken the curses on the Fire, Water, and Forest Temples, correct?

Both boys nodded.

All right, she continued. That means we now have four Sages. Rauru, Darunia, Ruto, and little Saria. Two more remain. The only two temples I know of are the Shadow Temple, deep in the Kakariko Graveyard, and the Spirit Temple, even _deeper in the Haunted Wasteland._

The other two looked at each other, then back at Zelda.

I...I believe I know who the Shadow Sage is, she said. Nothing is positive, but while I was hiding in the Sacred Realm, I got ideas of all of the sages' identities. My guesses have so far been correct. The only one that's still very unclear to me is the Spirit Sage. I have no idea who that may be.

Gordon adjusted his glasses with two fingers and said, Then, you think you know who the Shadow Sage is?

The princess nodded. I believe that the Sage of Shadow is Impa.

Link's eyes lit up with the recognition of the name. Your old attendant? When Gordon looked up at him questioningly, Link thought an explanation was necessary. Impa is one of the last of the Sheikah, servants of the Hyrulean royal family. She's also the leader of Kakariko Village. She has been looking after the princess for her whole life. I've only seen her once or twice myself, before you two first came here. A very capable woman. He then turned to Zelda. I'll know her if I see her again.

Zelda's face softened. If you _do run into Impa, please tell her everything we know. Perhaps she can help you in the Shadow Temple._

What's in the Shadow Temple? Gordon asked. 

Link knew pieces of the legend behind it, but decided to let Zelda tell it.

Zelda turned to face the sorcerer. Long ago, an evil spirit was sealed there, in the bottom of the well in Kakariko. Its base was in the Shadow Temple. Since the spirit was sealed, the Temple has been empty. Even sealed away, the spirit is still causing trouble, preventing the Sage from being awakened. The spirit must be destroyed. In fact, unless the spirit can break free of the well, you will not have to visit the Shadow Temple at all.

That'd be nice. I'm sure Lydia would appreciate that.

Link cracked his knuckles. So, we have to get down into the well and destroy the evil spirit to awaken the Sage, whom you think is Impa.

The sorcerer looked at him with a furrowed brow. What if the spirit breaks free?

That spirit has been sealed for a long time. It hasn't broken free before. Why should it now?

Zelda solemnly shook her head. Since Ganondorf gained the Triforce of Power, the seal has slowly been weakening. It may go at any time.

Gordon balled his fists. Then there's no time to waste!"

Malon stood with her arms crossed, looking back and forth at the group. She had been following the conversation closely, and could not believe how involved Link and his friends really _were in the fight against Ganondorf. Heck, they __were the fight. She smiled at Link. It's obvious that when all this mess is over, she said, gesturing with her hand, you'll have a lot of stories to tell me._

Oh sure, Link replied with a smile. Everybody wants to hear the stories.

And do _we have stories, Gordon added with emphasis._

It was then that the explosion rocked the ground. The soil beneath their feet shook fiercely as a rumbling sound wove through the air. Once the ground stilled, Link stood straight up, alarm reflecting in his blue eyes.

That came from Kakariko!

Everyone looked at each other. You...You don't think...? Gordon wondered aloud.

After exchanging looks, Link leapt into Epona's saddle and Gordon took to the air, not even taking the time to say goodbye to either of the girls. As they shot out from Lon-Lon Ranch, Zelda's voice called after them.

Be careful!

The beating sound of Epona's hooves were muffled by the screams of the Kakariko Villagers. As they got closer to the eastern side of Hyrule Field, smoke started to rise on the horizon. Link was pushing Epona almost to her limit, and Gordon flew just ahead and above.

Link took Epona across the small bridge and right up the stairs into Kakariko, not even stopping to leave the horse behind. When they reached the entrance to town, Gordon had already landed just inside. He yanked Epona to a stop and stared in horror at the sight.

Buildings all around them were on fire. Villagers were running all over, screaming about one thing or another. A few walls were already burned out in the nearby houses.

The fire crackled all around them, spooking Epona. The horse kicked up onto her hind legs, throwing Link to the ground. She slammed her hooves back into the soil, turned, and ran back to Hyrule Field, leaving Link behind.

Link was in such shock about the state of the town that the Hylian hardly noticed that he wasn't even on his horse anymore. He barely took note of Gordon as he yanked him to his feet. He hardly heard as the roof of a nearby building fell in.

What he _did notice was the form pouring out of the well._

It was like a large purple shadow, flowing out of the well like a liquid. It snaked around the well a few times, then climbed a wall and swirled around the windmill, setting it on fire in the process. 

That's the evil spirit! Gordon shouted. It _has to be!_

The seal finally gave way! Link replied.

Without thinking, the two boys ran into town toward it. As they ran past the tree, the shadow was snaking around the perimeter of town, toward where they had just been. It hovered near the entrance, as if waiting for either of them to try something. Then, it charged.

Caught in the heat of the moment, Link did the only thing he could think of. He unsheathed his sword and charged forward before Gordon could stop him. Astral Vine! A coat of red magic enveloped the Master Sword as he held it off to his side.

The dark shadow hissed as it neared the Hylian. Link held the magic-charged sword out in front of him, like a knight would in a jousting tournament. When he got close to the spirit, he lowered it closer to the ground and cut into the edge. Not surprisingly, the edge of the shadow split as it was cut.

Link kept moving. He ran deeper and deeper into the spirit as the sword cut through. Two halves were left on each side of him as he moved. When he neared the center, he reared the sword back and followed through with a shout, sending magical energy searing through the remaining half of the spirit.

The Hylian stopped and remained on guard, watching the remains of the evil spirit. On his left was one half, on his right, the other. Both halves were very still.

He couldn't help but worry. _That was too easy._

Too easy, indeed. Just then, both halves quivered, then moved toward him as they came back together. Caught in the middle, all Link could do was throw his arms up over his head as a defense.

Gordon watched in horror. The two halves slammed back together, right on top of Link. The Hylian completely disappeared under the purple mess as the halves reunited. Almost immediately, he could hear Link howling in pain. The thing was attacking him!

Before he could even make a move to help, Link suddenly reappeared. A make-shift tentacle of the purple energy had him around the waist. It swung him around a bit, then threw him like a sack of potatoes. He landed hard at Gordon's feet, unmoving.

The shadow didn't hesitate to back up and prepare for the next attack. Gordon took the time to bend over and check on Link. He was still alive, but had taken a rotten beating. A distance away, the spirit hovered around the tree, ready to attack again.

It was at that moment that Lydia plowed through the burnt door of the windmill. Gordon heard the door explode into splinters as she ran through it. He saw her gripping the railing, coughing up smoke. Her hair was singed and her skin was darkened by the smoke.

He waved his arm, calling to her. But she couldn't seem to hear him over the roaring of the fires and the screams of the villagers. She was now straight up again and was looking at the village with a shocked look on her face. It was another moment before she even saw him.

But then the spirit started to move. Gordon quickly decided that he couldn't wait for his sister to help. He jumped in front of Link and prepared a spell. If this spirit wanted a fight, it'd get a fight.

Behind him, he heard Lydia shout, and turned around just in time to see her climb up onto the fence and fly high in the air. One of her fists slowly coated with white light as she casted a spell.

You pitiful twisted creatures, not of this world... by the Light of Purity I possess, I bid thee, be gone to the nexus of our two worlds! She then positioned herself directly above the attacking spirit and dove out of her flight, holding the magic high. Megido Flare!!

She dropped right into the center of the shadow, striking it with the magic. There was a flash of white light, and the shadow broke into several pieces that each shot away from the attack point. Lydia was left, knelt down on the grass, with her right fist dug into the dirt. All around her, the eight or nine pieces of the shadow quivered. 

Gordon knew what was going to happen next. This was the same thing again! However, everything was happening so fast that he wasn't able to warn her before the spirit came together again. Just like Link, the sorceress disappeared under the purple spirit and was beaten around before it finally spit her out and threw her away.

That was the clencher. In a flash of energy, the Triforce of Wisdom once again revealed itself. Energy swirled all around the sorcerer as the symbol of the Triforce shone on his forehead. The evil spirit shrunk away from him, almost in fear.

Gordon sneered at it, the energy reflecting in his green eyes, you know what this is, don't you? Come and get me! He prepared to throw the Triforce's energy, but never got the chance.

Indeed, the spirit _did recognize what it was dealing with, and careened off. It swung wide around the southern Kakariko, around and over burning buildings, and disappeared through the small opening that led to the graveyard. The thing was retreating to its old base, the Shadow Temple!_

Get _back here, you coward! Gordon shouted after it, even though he knew it was useless. It just seemed appropriate to shout a threat._

As the power of the Triforce of Wisdom continued to flare, the sorcerer looked around him. Buildings were burning, villagers were screaming. Link and Lydia both lay at his feet, their plans backfired.

He knew there was one way to save what remained of the town, and he'd have to use his Triforce piece to acquire the necessary energy. As the symbol flashed, Gordon cast a small spell, borrowing power from the Triforce to amplify it greatly, then threw his arms up.

Mos Varim!

A huge ball of black light appeared in the sky over the town. Almost instantly, it began to suck in the flames on the surrounding buildings. The Mos Varim was a counterspell to fire, so it immediately began to extinguish all of the fires around it. Normally, it wouldn't be able to put out an entire town, but with the Triforce of Wisdom in the mix, getting it to that point wasn't too hard.

Gordon kept the spell in action until the last fire had been put out, leaving only smoldering wood. The power of his Triforce piece slowly died out and the shining symbol disappeared. Although very winded, he knelt down and started working his healing magic on the other two.

Lydia groaned. Now I'm just mad. 

The sorceress sighed loudly and held her head in pain, holding a healing spell to her forehead. That thing had beaten the crap out of her, whatever it was. Gordon hadn't offered an explanation yet. He was busy working on Link, who was still unconscious. It was obvious that her brother knew something about what happened. It was visible in his eyes.

Lydia opened her eyes and looked around. The buildings were no longer on fire. Villagers were no longer running around. They were mostly injured, or were helping the injured. The sorceress, feeling useless suddenly, stopped healing herself and stood up.

Keep working on Link, she said to her brother. I'm going to help the other townsfolk. With that, she started limping away.

You're still hurt, though! Gordon shouted after her. Look at you. You can't even walk right.

She turned back to him with a firm I-know-what-I'm-doing smile of authority and said, I'm fine. Others need my help right now. I'll be back. She once again turned her back and limped toward a villager that was slumped against a building, badly burned.

Gordon watched her kneel down and start the healing spell on the hurt man. She's horribly stubborn, he thought, but chivalrous to the end. Sometimes, the sorcerer thought that he'd never have her fully figured out.

He continued to watch her. She finished with the first person, then stood up to move to the next. She was obviously still a bit sore; it showed in the way she moved. But she wasn't letting that slow her down. Since they were siblings, Gordon and Lydia had always admired various things about each other, and this was one of things he admired about her. She seemed like a selfish person at first glance, but tended to put others first in tense situations. 

Link was the same way – maybe that's why they got along so well.

He watched his sister for several more moments, then realized he had completely forgotten about his own patient. He turned his head to look at Link, and was surprised to see him fully awake and propped up on his elbows, looking around. 

Gordon stuttered in surprise. I didn't even notice you'd come around again. Welcome back.

Link shifted his eyes to look at him. What happened?

That thing beat the juice out of you, first off. Lydia appeared about then and tried to fight it, and the same thing happened to her. He gestured with his hand to where Lydia was healing hurt villagers. She's pretty much okay now, though. How are you doing?

Stiff and sore. ....Where's the spirit?

I lost my temper when the thing beat on Lydia, too, and scared it off with my Triforce piece. It ran away, toward the graveyard.

Link lowered his head and his hair fell into his eyes. It must have been going to the Shadow Temple. That's where we need to go. He lifted his head and watched Lydia stand and limp over to another person. ....Hey, I thought you said she was okay! Look at her limping!

I said pretty much'. She worked on herself at first, but when she saw other people hurt and cut her own treatment short.

The Hylian shook his head, laughing quietly. She is so _stubborn._

The two were silent for a few minutes, and then Gordon said, So....are we going to the Shadow Temple next?

Not quite. First, I want to find Impa and talk to her.

Oh yeah. The one Zelda thinks is the Shadow Sage. He lowered his hands, his healing spell finished.

Link stretched his arms and flexed his sore muscles. Lydia happened to look over then, and waved happily. She finished the man she was working on, then painfully stood and hobbled over to where the two boys were sitting. She sat down next to Link and continued to heal her own injuries. 

Glad to see you're feeling better, she said.

The Hylian nodded, then lapsed into deep thought for a few minutes. He stood up abruptly and said, Wait here. I'll be right back. Leaving the sorcerers behind, he jogged over to an old man who was sulking near the tavern. He started to speak to the man. Neither of the other two could hear, but they continued to watch.

Link continued to speak, gesturing slightly with his hands. The old man shook his head and started to speak back. Link had his back to the sorcerers, so they couldn't see his face. But his reaction to what the old man was saying to him was almost immediately apparent. As the man finished speaking, Link put both hands on his head, as if in pain. He then ripped his hat off and threw it to the ground in apparent anger and frustration.

As he continued to carry on his conversation with the old man, Lydia got bored with watching them, and her attention traveled to the surrounding areas. It was sad. The buildings were still smoldering, but no longer burning. The Kakariko Tavern, where the townsfolk gathered to eat and drink and throw parties, had a whole wall missing. The roof of one building had completely collapsed. The windmill had several holes in it and one of the fan blades was gone. Lydia twisted her waist to look at their own house. Luckily, there wasn't much damage. There was some holes in the ceiling and the walls were charred, but nothing too serious.

As she stood up, now fully healed, Link was walking back to them, holding his hat in one hand and running the other hand through his blond hair in a gesture of someone that was very worried.

What was _that all about? Gordon asked when he got close._

It seems, Link began, absently turning to look at the man he had spoken to, that the spirit already has a hostage.

Lydia actually took a step backward. What?? Who?

Gordon shook his head, then took his glasses off and wiped his eye with the back of his wrist. How very convenient, he said sarcastically.

The sorceress tugged on Link's braid as if she was ringing a doorbell. What happened?

Link turned to face her. It all happened just before we got back to town, apparently. Impa was right there when the seal blew open and tried to fight the spirit, but it whisked her away to the Shadow Temple. As he spoke, he swiftly gathered his hair and replaced his dirty hat on his head. It had already come back when we arrived.

Lydia ground her teeth together. Damn it! If that stupid old man hadn't made me race him, I might have been back in time to help!

Gordon looked at her. I thought that was what happened. You came out of the windmill, after all.

She scoffed. Yeah, and nearly killed myself doing it, she said, trying to clean off her darkened skin with her shirt sleeve. Suddenly, she smiled. ...But I beat him!

You _flew, didn't you?_

He played tricks on me. He deserved it.

Link chuckled quietly. That's very much like Dampé. His face turned serious again and he was quiet. All right, here's what we do, he said finally. The Shadow Temple is our next destination. We'll stay here in town and help the villagers for now. Once we've done everything we possibly can, we're going to the Temple.

Lydia nodded in agreement. That sounds good to me. ....But...that thing almost trashed Kakariko, _and us. How do we know we can beat it when we find it again?_

The Hylian got that hero-gleam in his eye. We'll find a way.

On that, the three adventurers parted, separating to different parts of Kakariko Village, pitching in wherever help was needed. 

As Link was helping someone pull another guy from a collapsed building, he glanced over at the two sorcerers, who were healing injured people. 

_We'll find a way. We always do. Ganondorf will not win._


	25. Status Report 872002

I'll bet you all thought I'm dead.

Not yet, I'm afraid.

This has been a long, hard school year for me, mainly because I have NOT been in school. It's been one of those weird years. I'm inbetween high school and college, and I even worked TWO jobs at one point.

Oh sure, uploading what I already had WRITTEN of the story was easy, even though the final proofread always took a long while. But in this entire year, I've written, like, one chapter.   
It's so, so sad.  
And, in my personal words, it SUCKS.

Well, I have good news and bad news for everybody that's been e-mailing me with that usual "C'mon, c'mon! Get the act together! We want material!". Can't say I blame you, by the way.  
Here's the good news. I'm going to college in less than a month, meaning I'm moving away from home. Also meaning I may just have more free time on my hands than I've had this year. Finally meaning I may be able to actually WORK on the story.  
Imagine that.

Anyway, here's the bad news. My computer went through a MAJOR upgrade a couple weeks ago, and my happy little hard drive went bad while I was trying to upgrade that part of it. Thank the goddesses I had my story backed up on floppy disks.  
However, I made a gruesome discovery about ten minutes ago.  
Disc three, the one that has been holding the completed Chapters 25 and 26, has gone bad!! AUGH! I've lost 25 and 26!!

I'll have to rewrite them before I can go on. It's a bit of a setback...but looking on the bright side, maybe I'll make them even better this time around.

That's about all there is to say at this point. I just figured I owed you people a status report.   
Keep checking back. I'm sure you're sick of it by now... But keep faith in me. After all, the guys and I still have to save Hyrule. Can't let Ganondorf win, can we? 

--Truly yours,  
Miss Lydia


	26. Status Report 1172002

**11/7/02 Status Report  
(believe it or not)**

Lydia: Oh my god! Oh my god! Look, guys! I'm still alive! 

Link: Okay, okay, let's not scare the nice people. They've been so patient up to this point, let's not frighten them off. You're lucky enough they're still here!

Lydia: Oh, come on, Long Ears! How can you be so CALM?! We're going to start our adventure again! Aren't you excited? We've been kinda _dormant_ for so damn long, and now we're gonna get to kick some more butt! 

Link: Yes, we're all excited about the upcoming butt-kicking, but if you don't take a minute to breathe, you won't be able to say what we're here to say. 

Lydia: *runs in circles* 

Gordon: Forget it, man. Calming her at this point is a lost cause. 

Link: No kidding. Do you want to do the honors, then? 

Gordon: Don't mind if I do. *awkwardly clears his throat* Hello, Worlds Apart fans! It looks like all of your super-patient waiting with my sister is going to pay off really soon. She's gonna--

Lydia: OHNOYOUDON'T! I wanna say it! *shoves him into Link* I'm gonna start writing again!! Yay! *does a dumb little dance* Yeah... college has been really, really mean to me. It's been so hard for me to keep up. I've got a required Literature course and a math course, and I'm taking Japanese on the side. I'm easily getting a 4.0 in my Lit and Jap courses, but it takes a LOT of work on my part to keep up in math. And I'm still not doing very well. Why a college Pre-Calculus course is twice as hard as a high school Pre-Calculus course, I don't know. I'm having to absolutely kill myself just to pass the tests, let alone get a good grade. And I've got roommate problems in addition to that. I have-- ...*glances at the boys*.. ....Uh, guys? I don't see sympathetic looks on your faces. I need sympathetic looks.

Gordon: What should we do?

Lydia: Just stand there and look sad. Cry on Link's shoulder or something. Anyway, I have almost no friends up here except for a little group that has formed in my Japanese class. We sit together in class and go to anime club meetings together. That is really the highlight of my week. Otherwise, I'm working almost constantly on some damn assignment or paper or studying for some test. Being a grown-up kinda sucks.

Link: *pretends to wipe a tear away*

Lydia: But today I said to myself, "Damn it, Lyd, you have fans that are waiting! Make something happen! You know you want to." And I do want to! I still have big plans! Remember that stupid prophecy I kept hearing in my dreams? And my secret weapon? I've got a lot to wrap up! ...Since I was about fifteen, every night when I would go to bed, I'd daydream until I fell asleep. And what would I daydream about? Yes, I'd make up stories in my head about adventures in some world or another, and Hyrule was the setting for the majority of them. After about two years of doing this every single night (yeah, you read it. Two years, every single night), I had produced an entire story. It's the one you've been reading for so long now. It's taken almost that long to type it all up in such a way that gives you the best view possible of what I'm seeing in my mind. That's very important to me, because what I'm seeing in my mind is extremely cool. If what is in my mind was ever made into an anime... Wow. But that's not happening, so this is the best I can do. But just because I was on my computer making it into an actual story doesn't mean that my nightly daydreams stopped! Oh, no, even after I started writing Worlds Apart, every single night before falling asleep, I'd be thinking up additions and changes to it. The prophecy in my dreams? Thought that up one night before drifting off. I actually thought up the senario that the prophecy is referring to that night-- the actual worded prophecy to match it came about two nights later. I thought up the entire chant for my secret weapon in the same way. And the destruction of the Temple of Time? Same thing. This is how this story was born, and after doing all that work, why the hell should I stop now?!

Link: Hear, hear!!

Lydia: With all that said, let me remind you that Ganon-dork is still running free, messing with innocent Hyruleans! That has to stop, and it has to stop now!

Gordon: All right! We've got a world to save!

Lydia: *sits down at her computer* Gordon, go dig Link's sword out of my closet for him. Link, get me a Coke and a bag of chips. This may take a while.

  
~*~*~*~

_Again, thank you, everyone that has stuck with me through this weird time of my life. Believe me, I have as much fun writing the story as you do reading it, and I'm eager to get back to serious work. Considering how long my chapters end up being and how much work goes into giving them substance, don't expect to see Chapter 25 for a couple of weeks yet. Lest we forget, I'm still trying to pass Math._

May the Triforce be with you,  
Miss Lydia


	27. Chapter 25

_All right! Lydia scores again! I have for you a nice, LONG Chapter 25, and I even got it to you in the two weeks I promised. How's THAT for cool, huh? Enjoy, everybody, this is for you._

~*~*~*~*~

Worlds Apart  
Part II

**Chapter 25**

The constant, unwavering sun crept over the eastern horizon, pouring its brave sunlight across Hyrule Field. That sun was a beacon of hope for many Hyruleans. No matter what terrible thing befell the land, no matter what kind of damage that Evil King in the north did, that sun always rose every morning without fail. However, on this abnormally dark day in Kakariko Village, the dark clouds in the sky blocked most of the sunlight. It was surely an effect of what had occurred there the day before, and it certainly was not helping the distraught villagers lift their spirits.

In the wake of the attack of the shadow spirit, the village seemed unusually empty. Almost everyone was gathered in the damaged Kakariko Tavern, since it was the largest building. The west wall was mostly gone, but the old building still served the purpose of a temporarily shelter for the wounded and the distraught. Lit by ceiling lamps, the old Tavern housed several concentrated groups of people. Some were talking worriedly amongst themselves, others were concentrating on wounded villagers. Considering the havoc the shadow had caused, there wasn't that much physical injury among them. Kakariko Village had been lucky.

In the quiet corner of the Tavern, Lydia sat at an empty table, keeping to herself as best as she could. She had been up all night healing injuries, and the sight of the sun attempting to rise in the village made her feel suddenly exhausted. Time for a break, she thought, and crashed into the nearest wooden chair.

The girl kept her gaze on the broken west wall, mainly to avoid the constant glances of the people in the Tavern. She didn't really blame them for staring – they had probably never seen offensive magic like that before – but she just needed a few moments to herself. So she concentrated on watching the sun fight to creep through the dark clouds over Kakariko this morning. Link and Gordon had left a few hours before, during the night. They seemed intent on trekking straight to the Shadow Temple, especially Link. But Lydia wanted to stay behind and help out as much as she could, so she sent them ahead, just to check things out. They had yet to return, and she was starting to feel a little agitated by their continuing absence.

Before she could help it, her forehead was down on her arm, and she was close to falling asleep. She was the type of person that enjoyed sleep as much as some people enjoyed their favorite dessert, and hadn't stayed up all night since a slumber party her friends had thrown years before. And _that_ time she had spent the night watching movies, not expelling almost continuous magical energy.

A solid _clunk_ on the table suddenly jarred Lydia out of her sleep-deprivation trance. She threw her head up to find the bartender standing over her. He was a middle-aged, plump man with the most charming black mustache under his nose. His apron was always dirty, giving a person the impression that he constantly had his hands into something. Sitting in front of her on the table was a big mug, the type of ale mug she had only seen in renaissance festivals back home. She smiled with appreciation at the man, then leaned back in her chair and tried to force her fingers into her pocket. Before she could produce a few rupees for him, the bartender smiled warmly, shook his head, and walked away.

Lydia smiled warmly at the man's retreating back as he wandered back to the bar to go back to whatever he was doing. Her heart felt strangely warm at that moment. The people of Hyrule were really very kind people overall. She had to admit she wasn't very familiar with the Gerudo race, but they were under the rule of the real bad apple of Hyrule – Ganondorf. Her smile fell down to a grimace and she gritted her teeth. She had never before felt so ready to face Ganondorf. He had done way too much to this peaceful place she didn't know how much longer she would be able to bear it.

She gripped the ale mug, which turned out to be so heavy that she needed two hands hold it. The warm drink slipping down her throat was the best feeling she'd experienced in days. She had emptied the class within minutes, and before she could help herself, she lowered her head back down on her arm. She was asleep in seconds.

The catnap wasn't long, nor was it at all restful. The moment her eyes closed, she immediately began to see familiar images. It started with a familiar scene of her standing in a desert area. Link was there, as was Gordon, a little off to the side. Her arm suddenly appeared and a spell blasted her brother yards away. Her sword materialized in her right hand and she swung repeatedly at Link. The Hylian blocked each blow with his own sword, but never fought back. A sudden burst of unnatural strength came from somewhere and she knocked Link away with a strike with the blunt end of her sword. Before she could stop herself, her arm threw a powerful spell that struck Link in the head, killing him instantly. The ground fell away, and she plunged into the darkness screaming with anguish.

Lydia suddenly snapped awake again, sitting straight up in her chair. After a few panicked seconds, she found herself safely back in the Tavern. The villagers were still huddled in groups, the wall was still broken 

There it was again. That awful dream that had almost emotionally destroyed her that time. She was taking it remarkably better this time, calmly stabling her heartbeat, very aware that people were looking at her. The last thing she needed to do was make a scene by crying, even though she wanted to more than anything.

She glanced to the side and realized that her ale mug was full again. The bartender must have refilled it for her at some point. Still in calm-down mode and very grateful for his generosity, she gripped the mug, but didn't drink right away. She stared into the mug absently. That was the second or third time she had watched that scene. Something was going to happen, and she was the center of it. She tended to deny it, but she really did care for Link very much and what was happening each time that dream came was her absolute worst nightmare. Then again, having it actually happen would be an even _worse_ nightmare. Lydia was prepared to do whatever she could to make sure it didn't.

With perfect timing for the moment, Link appeared through the broken wall of the Tavern, followed closely by Gordon, quietly talking with each other. Lydia caught sight of them and raised her arm. As soon as they spotted her, they started wandering her way, weaving through groups of people. It wasn't an easy voyage – people that wanted to shake their hands assailed the two at every turn. Lydia used the extra time to decide that she wouldn't tell them about the dream unless the subject came up. They certainly had enough to worry about.

With an up-all-night sigh, Link lowered himself sorely into the chair next to Lydia, and Gordon took the seat across from them. Neither of them said anything right away, so Lydia sucked up a breath and got the ball rolling.

she said as cheerfully as she possibly could. Did you guys already beat the spirit without me?

Didn't get that far, I'm afraid, her brother replied. There's some kind of ward on the temple. Well, not really a ward more like a

A warning, Link cut in. He and I didn't get five steps into the temple before a voice spoke to us.

Lydia raised her eyebrow. A voice?

Before Link could continue, the bartender had appeared again. In his hands he held a mug of ale for each of the boys. As Link reached into this tunic, the man once again politely refused and walked away.

The Hylian took a swig of the drink, and then continued. I don't know where it came from, but both of us heard it from somewhere deep inside. It said we needed the Lens of Truth, basically. The actual saying was far more prophetic than that, but that's the shortened version.

Lens of Truth? the girl asked. Have you ever heard of it?

No, I can't say that I have.

Setting his mug down on the table, Gordon said, I'll bet Zelda has.

Lydia leaned back in her chair. That settles that, she said. After we're done here, we should head back to Lon-Lon. We probably should have checked in last night she's probably wondering what happened.

Link suddenly leaned back in his chair and looked past her, toward the broken west wall. Looks like she's come to find out for herself.

The two sorcerers immediately followed his gaze. Standing in the gaping hole in the wall was Princess Zelda, scanning the dark Tavern, obviously looking for them. Malon was behind her, holding the reins of two horses. The horses seemed unusually jittery. Perhaps they sensed remains of the shadow spirit from the day before. 

Zelda caught sight of them almost immediately and raised her arm with a smile on her face. As the trio stood up, the Tavern suddenly got noisier. The villagers realized who was standing at the wall. Zelda suddenly had one of those looks on her face – she had forgotten that most of Hyrule believed her to be dead. Showing herself like this certainly _would_ be a shock to them, wouldn't it?

A mob quickly formed at the west side of the Tavern, with good intentions of course, but still a mob. Before she could even decide what to do, Link and the two sorcerers flew right over the crowd and landed in front of her.

Hey there, Princess, Lydia said cheerfully, getting jostled by one of the villagers that wanted a good look at Zelda. We've got things under control here.

Link wasn't as cheerful. You shouldn't have left the ranch, he said. You know Ganondorf could appear any time! We can't let that happen before we're ready!

Lydia leaned over to Gordon and gripped his shirt sleeve. Hey, take care of the crowd, will ya? Sick em, boy.

Gordon did his best to gather the crowd and move them back, jumping from side to side with his arms spread wide. Okay, everybody, this is a serious situation! We're really going to need your cooperation right now. Move back, move back. As he continued to plead with the crowd and slowly move them back, the other two moved Zelda back outside.

Malon was laughing. Well, well, she chuckled, stroking her horse. Created quite a scene there, didn't you?

Zelda blushed slightly. I didn't mean to.

No harm done, Lydia declared with a careless shrug. Come on, let's duck into the house. We don't need to get mobbed quite yet. Let's wait until _after_ we save the world for that.

The group retreated into the house, and once Malon tied the horses to a post nearby, she followed. After everybody found a place to sit down, Gordon came in as well.

You're back in one piece, Lydia observed.

Yeah, they're tamed for now, he said. The bartender gave them a round of drinks. I explained to them that the fact that Zelda is alive is supposed to be a secret. They all swore to me that they wouldn't let word of it leave the village.

Link spread out on his bed in an effort to get his tired muscles to quit cursing at him. Well, that's good. One less thing to worry about.

I'm sorry about that, Zelda said. I just felt awful for hiding at a time like this.

A tiny ball of light eased its way out of its hiding place in Zelda's long hair and spoke matter-of-factly. I _told_ her she shouldn't leave, said Navi, but she just insisted on coming here.

Hey, we understand, but you'll need to be noble a little more discreetly from now on, Lydia said. We have something to ask you about, and after that, you're going straight back to the ranch. She glanced at Malon. It's okay, isn't it?

Malon almost laughed. Of course. She can stay there as long as she needs to.

The princess blinked once. Something to ask me? she asked. Her face brightened considerably and she leaned forward excitedly. If there's anything I can do to help you, I will gladly!

Gordon settled himself on the foot of Link's bed, quickly cracked his tired back in a few places, and then faced Zelda with a serious face. We were wondering if you'd ever heard of the Lens of Truth. Link and I went to the Shadow Temple, but it seems that we'll need it to do any good there.

After thinking briefly, Zelda's face brightened again. I do know about it! she proclaimed. It's an old Kakariko legend, actually. At the bottom of the old well is a cavern, and hidden inside is the Lens of Truth. Once she had made her initial point, her face became a little more solemn. The Shadow Temple, even before the spirit inhabited it, was filled with tricky illusions meant to confuse any intruders and get them lostor worse. The only way to see through these tricks is with the Lens of Truth.

Always quickest to act, Lydia jumped straight up and held up a fist enthusiastically. Well, isn't that lucky! The well is right here in town! Come on, you guys, let's go find that Lens!

Link tried to say.

No time to lose, no time to lose! Go, go, go!

Before either of the boys could react, Lydia was pulling them up and toward the door. She shoved them outside, but before leaving herself, she turned around and looked Malon in the eye. I suggest you two stay here until nightfall to avoid any extra attention. Don't let _anybody_ bother Princess Zelda.

Malon stood up straight and saluted. In one swift motion, she grabbed Lydia's hairbrush off the table and held it like a sword. I'll fend off any intruders!

Yeaah, you do that. We shouldn't be long. With a chuckle, she waved to Zelda and disappeared through the door.

As she followed the boys around the house toward the well, she tried to keep her spirits up. She wasn't exactly excited about going down in an old, smelly well. She had faked it back there to make Zelda feel better about things in general. She wasn't sure why she had – it was just a well. It's not like the well was dark and bottomless or anything. How bad could it be?

Yep, nothing to worry about.

Keeping that thought in her mind, she jogged ahead to meet the boys, standing at the mouth of the old well. It was a beat-up old thing, made of chipped stone with a wooden beam crossing over the top. This well was empty – the water had completely drained sometime during that seven years they had missed. Lydia was happy about that. It only made the task easier.

she shouted, skipping up to the well. Let's do this!

However, she took one look over the side and immediately changed her attitude. She could almost _smell_ the evil energy wafting through the air in the well. It was very dark and looked bottomless.

The sorceress cursed under her breath, and then backed up. uh, who volunteers to go down there? I don't want to! She started to walk away, but Link grabbed the back of her shirt and held her fast.

What's this? Link asked sarcastically. I thought there was no time to lose' and we should hurry on down there and get the Lens.

No one in his or her right mind would go down in that thing! she shouted back, pointing at the well with her entire arm. It's so dark in there! And what if the bottom's _gone_ or something! I couldn't see it!

Gordon shook his head, almost shamefully. 

Did you forget that the well once held water? Link asked her. How could it hold water if there was no bottom?

the girl muttered, I guess

Someone's _scared_.

The helpless look on Lydia's face immediately transformed into anger and she gave the Hylian a swift kick in the knee.

Speaking of which, Gordon said suddenly, Why _doesn't_ it hold water anymore? Did something happen to it?

Link's gaze landed on the Kakariko windmill, and he said, I'm not sure. But I'll bet the man in there does. We'd better find out before going down there. Without waiting for either of the sorcerers to reply, he started to limp toward the stairway that led to the windmill door, muttering various curses under his breath.

The two sorcerers caught up immediately, and Lydia poked Link's shoulder and asked, Okay, so _who_ are we talking to?

The windmill guy. I remember he kept the well filled when I was young.

Windmill guy?

I only call him that because I don't know his name. Gee, I wonder if _anyone_ does.

What is he, a hermit or something?

The trio was climbing up the stairs toward the windmill now. As Link painfully dragged his sore leg up the steps one at a time, he replied, Oh, not really. Just a weird one. Keeps to himself most of the time. He should know what happened to the well.

Gordon moved ahead when they reached the top of the stairs. The door was in ruins, since Lydia had plowed through it the day before when the windmill was on fire. The frame and doorknob was still there, but the center was pretty much gone. The hole was large enough for them to just step through, but Gordon grabbed hold of the knob anyway, completely out of habit. Before he could laugh at himself and let go of the knob, the hinges of the door suddenly snapped, and the remaining frame fell into the windmill and exploded into little splinters of burnt wood.

The sorcerer stood there in surprise with his hand held at knob-height. From the side, his sister laughed at him.

Well, aren't _you_ just the Master of Disaster? she teased.

Look who's talking, Link and Gordon both said at the same time.

Lydia growled. Oh, shut up.

Before any of them could say anything else, an angry, highly agitated, raspy voice echoed off the inside walls of the damaged windmill. Oh, thanks a _lot!_ it shouted. Now I have to fix the _whole_ door! Now that you've done your damage, get outta here!

Gordon stammered, finally lowering his hand.

The sorceress looked at Link. That him? He sounds pissed.

Link raised one of his eyebrows and said, Can't be I would never have guessed that the windmill guy had a single mean bone in his body. He always had this _creepy_ smile on his facebut he wasn't That can't be him.

Lydia and Link pushed past him and peeked through the doorframe. The inside of the windmill, while charred and blackened from fire damage, didn't seem too worse for the wear. The huge column in the center connected to the fan blades was still turning slowly. At the far end of the windmill, standing on the top of a tall ladder, was a stringy, average looking Hylian man. He was making repairs to the wall, but when the door fell in, he had dropped his hammer, and was on his way down the ladder to fetch it.

The sight of the three of them crowding the doorway angered him further. I said get outta my windmill! he shouted at them. I've got better things to do than to entertain a bunch of kids. Either leave me be or pick up some tools and help me fix this place up! Darn loiterers

Link almost laughed in a half-shocked way. I'll be damned. That _is him. Seven years sure can change a person._

Lydia suggested, maybe there's a reason for it. I volunteer _you to talk to him. I really don't want to deal with it. If he talks to __me like that, I'll end up blasting him or something. So I'll probably just hang back._

The three stepped over the broken timbers that used to be the door, and stepped onto the rotating platform. Gordon and Link continued forward and stepped off the other side to meet with the windmill guy, but Lydia leaned against the middle column and rode the platform in circles, intent on just listening in. She wasn't in the mood to deal with someone uncooperative. And, just like she had said, it probably would not be healthy for the uncooperative party involved.

The windmill guy was preparing to go back up the ladder when Link tapped him on the shoulder. E-Excuse me, he began. I was wondering if I could ask you something? Uh.. About the well.

With swiftness and speed unlike an aged man, he turned square around and put his face right up to Link's. And what do you know about that?!  
  
N-Not a whole lot! Link stammered back. That's why I want to _ask you about it. I've been, uh, __away for the last seven years, and there was water in that old well when I was last here, but now there's not. Do you know why?_

The man narrowed his eyes, not moving his face even an inch back. Keeping his gaze set directly on the boy, he said, Aye, I do. He finally backed off and gathered himself. Gordon found it apparent that this was a story this man _loved to tell to people. _

It was almost exactly seven years ago, the man started, his voice strangely stronger with enthusiasm. Here I was, minding my own business, playing my trusty music box, when _he came in. It was a boy from the forest that had been hanging around town often with a couple of other kids. He came in that day, and played a weird song on his little ocarina. He threw up his hands to illustrate the climax. And suddenly, the windmill went __wild! That very platform that the girl is standing on now went crazy, going in circles way, way too fast! It just kept going around and around and around and around and the well couldn't keep up, and just _drained_! The well was completely empty before I could do anything and it hasn't refilled since. Damn that kid! I _know_ it was a prank amongst the youngsters, because the very moment that boy was out the door he was shouting at his hiding friends to run for it!_

The windmill guy gave the ladder a swift kick, and it slid along the wall, crashing to the floor. DAMN it all! I'll never forget it!

From her position at the rotating column, Lydia crossed her arms. Link, how could you do such a thing to the poor old guy.

Link turned straight around to face her with the most shocked, confused looked on his face. he shouted at her as the column rotated her away from his sight. I don't remember doing any such thing! It wasn't me!

How strange Gordon whispered to himself, his hand on his chin in contemplation.

The windmill guy was now wandering over to a dusty crate at one end of the windmill. With a solid pull, he yanked it open and pulled out an old crank music box. Yesss, I'll never forget the song that kid played! It still angers me to hear the notes. He gripped the crank and started to turn it. A simple but strangely eerie song began to flow from inside the old box. The sound echoed off the damaged walls, and sent a shiver up Lydia's spine. 

_How creepy, she thought. __I'd prefer not to hear THAT ever again_

To her disappointment, Link almost instinctively reached into his tunic and pulled out the Ocarina of Time. He smoothly matched the song without missing a single note.

Other than sending eerie vibes around the room, the music box had no real effect. But when the Ocarina of Time mimicked the song, something completely different happened. Thunder rolled overhead and it began to rain _inside the windmill. The spinning platform suddenly increased in speed, leaving poor Lydia to hang on for dear life to the center column._

_Oh, __GOD!! she screamed. __Make it stop!! Make it stop!! Aaaaaahh--!!_

Once the spinning column was done playing with the girl, it used its momentum to throw her off. She landed on the floor near the broken door and rolled a few feet. The angry sorceress tried to stand immediately, but was too dizzy to get very far. So dizzy she was seeing double, she glowered across the room at the two Links and muttered, _get youfor that_

Link was laughing too hard to take much notice to her death threat. Gordon was gazing up toward the top of the wooden column. Well, _that was interesting, he said with obvious fascination. A song that makes rain A Song of Storms_

_Aaaarrrgghh!!!_

The two boys jumped away with surprise as the windmill guy howled at them. He had his bony finger pointed firmly at Link. _I knew it! I __knew I recognized you--! __You're that damn kid that came in here seven years ago! How else could you have played the song perfectly the first time?! I'll get you for messing up my windmill! His fiery eyes flared and he raised the music box over his head._

Oh, _geez! Run for it! Link shouted._

He and Gordon bolted for the door, each grabbing one of Lydia's arms as they streaked past. Once outside, they turned sharply to make the dash for the stairs, barely missing getting creamed by the music box as it flew out the door after them.

Standing once again next to the old well, Lydia grumbled. So, what did we find out? We found out that Link is responsible for screwing up the well, and—

I'm _telling_ you, Link cut in, It wasn't me. I don't remember doing any such thing.

We found out that the windmill guy _thinks_ Link is responsible for screwing up the well. And for our trouble, we almost got killed by a flying music box. Does this really get us anywhere?

Gordon sat on the edge of the well. Well, at least now we know that some big old monster didn't empty the well, and is waiting down there to eat the first person to go down.

is why Link should go first.

Link crossed his arms and looked at her teasingly. Are you too scared to go first?

No one's to say that there's no monster down there! What if there is?

Then you'll fireball it, what else? He agily swung himself over the well and shoved his boot into one of the nicks in the stone that served as a ladder rung. Come on, you chicken. It's just an empty old well. With that, he started lowering himself down. Gordon chuckled at his sister, and then climbed in and followed Link.

Lydia sat on the edge of the well and dangled her legs down inside. Hmph. I'll show _you_ who's a chicken, Mr. Wise-Ass-Triforce-of-Courage. She pushed herself off the edge and let herself fall past the two boys before catching herself with magic. 

She paused next to Link long enough to say, Look at you, coming down here the hard way. Don't you wish _you_ could do this? With that, she lowered herself down into the darkness and disappeared. 

Seconds later, there was a loud thump and an angry groan. The sorceress' voice shouted up to Link and Gordon another moment later. Found the floor! 

As Link continued to lower himself farther and farther down, he shouted down to his companion below. _That_, crazy girl, is why we're coming down the hard way'. So that the floor doesn't suddenly come up and bite us like that.

The sorceress' voice came again. Shut up, Long Ears. Just hurry and get down here. As she spoke, a light spell activated below. 

From the position of the spell, Lydia and the floor weren't much farther down. Now that Gordon could see the floor, he jumped off the ladder, catching himself with magic. He gripped the back of Link's tunic and lowered the both of them down to the bottom.

When they touched down on the floor, Gordon added a light spell of his own, significantly brightening up the surroundings. The circular wall was stone most of the way down, but at the bottom, it appeared to be more packed dirt than stone. 

Link looked around, confusion written across his face. I thought Zelda said there was supposed to be some kind of a cavern down here. I don't see anything.

His two companions weren't really listening. He quickly noticed that they seemed to be preoccupied with something else. Each of the sorcerers were glancing suspiciously around them, eyes darting back and forth.

Lydia finally whispered to her brother. You feel that, kid?

he replied with a dark, monotonous voice. That's dark magic if I've ever felt it.

Instinctively, Link's left hand grasped the hilt of the Master Sword. Dark magic? he repeated. Ganondorf-type dark magic?

Lydia's gaze suddenly turned to the right, and she tossed her light spell toward that wall. Over there!

The light spell bounced off the dirt wall and hung there like a tiny sun. The wall, in that spot, was dirt just like the rest of the bottom of the well, but it was darker dirt and looked much thicker. 

Link quickly moved over there and put a hand on the wall. The dirt was unnaturally solid here. He pressed his left ear against the wall and knocked on it a few times with his fist. After a few moments and a few more knocks on the wall, Link pushed away and looked at his companions. 

The sound echoes a long way, he said, like it would in a tunnel.

Lydia said. It's a sealed tunnel?

Possibly. _Very_ sealed

The sorceress suddenly laughed. Nonsense! No wall can stand up to the great Lydia. Move back guys, let the expert do her work. She pushed the two boys toward the far side of the well and stood right in front of them to put as much distance between herself and the wall.

Lydia? Gordon started to ask.

A column of pink colored magic blasted from the sorceress' outstretched hands and slammed into the dirt seal. Dust flew everywhere as Lydia worked to carve a several-foot-tall tunnel through the wall.

The boys kept their eyes shielded from the flying dirt until she finally let the spell die out. Once everything had settled, they glanced over her shoulders, hoping to indeed see a gaping hole where the wall had been.

Although a bit charred, the wall was still intact. It was still so strong and solid that it almost seemed to be mocking Lydia. The sorceress shook with anger, her cheeks flushed red.

Very impressive, Miss Expert, Link muttered.

Lydia whipped around and grabbed his shirt collar with both hands. I outta slug you!

Her brother stepped between them and pushed her away. Like I was _about_ to say, he said, lifting a finger, that seal is reinforced by dark magic, no doubt Ganondorf's. He obviously doesn't want anyone getting the Lens of Truth. It'll take more than a strong earth shamanism spell to blast through it.

Lydia whined.

We'd better ask Zelda if she knows how to break the seal. Let's head back upstairs. He quickly found the ladder and started up again, with Link close behind, discouraged by this setback in their seemingly perfect plan.

Before following them up, the sorceress pointed an angry finger at the wall. You're _mine_, she said to it. **Ray Wing!** With an angry blast of magic, she rocketed past her companions and back toward the sunlight above.

A seal? Zelda asked.

Yep, a darn vicious seal at that, Lydia replied. Even I couldn't blast through it. It felt like dark magic. No doubt Ganondorf's work.

I have no doubts, either. Ganondorf has done so much damage.

Link sat down on the bed next to the princess. Do you know how to break a seal like that?

Zelda shook her head. I'm afraid I don't There might not even _be_ a way to break it at all at this point.

Malon said, coming into the conversation. There's no way to get that Lens thing now?

Lydia bit the tip of her thumb angrily. It looks like the only way we could ever get our hands on it would be to go back in time, _before_ Ganondorf sealed the cavern.

Sitting on one of the chairs, Gordon sighed. I wish we had known about this while we were still kids

Suddenly, Zelda's eyes widened and she stood straight up. That's it! she shouted. You all need to go back in time!

What now? Lydia asked.

The Master Sword! When Link pulled it from the Pedestal of Time, he was propelled forward in time seven years. If you were to return the Sword to the Pedestal, you can return to your original time! ThenThen you could come to the village, and the cavern in the well should be open, and you could retrieve the Lens! And to come back, Link could just pull the Sword out again! It's perfect! We can still win!

Lydia was really close to becoming excited if she hadn't suddenly remembered something rather important. Oh, dear she whispered. We forgot to tell you.

Zelda's face fell. 

Gordon decided to answer, but tried hard to avoid eye contact with the princess. Back when you came out of hiding and Ganondorf captured you, Ilost my temper and cracked off a Dragon Slave.

Dragon Slave? You mean that spell that Her eyes fell to the floor and she sat back on the bed. 

I doubt there's much left.

Link and Lydia both sighed at the same time. Just when things were looking good for them, too. They'd have to look for another option, or simply risk navigating the Shadow Temple without the Lens of Truth.

But the Temple of Time is protected by the Triforce and the Sacred Realm! Zelda said suddenly, standing up again. It can't be completely destroyed! There must be _something_ left!

The three looked at each other, but didn't say anything right away. They all knew what a Dragon Slave was capable of. When Lydia had casted it seven years before, it had destroyed a nasty chunk of Hyrule Field. Plus, Gordon was now three years older than she had been then _and_ had a brand new Triforce of Wisdom to back him up, meaning his spell had been more concentrated and powerful.

Link stood up and strapped the Master Sword to his back and started toward the door. We should at least take a look. He glanced at Zelda and gave her a reassuring smile. Don't worry. Like Lydia likes to say, things have a weird way of working out. With that, he disappeared through the door. The sorcerers nodded to each other and followed him outside.

**Ray Wing!**

So what do you think? Lydia shouted over the rushing wind. Any chance that there's anything left?

I'm trying to stay optimistic! her brother shouted back.

Link didn't say anything as the sorcerers carried him through the air. He was too angry at the situation and at Ganondorf to say much of anything.

The site of the Temple of Time came into view right about then. Where there should have been a tall roof, there was empty air. An enormous Dragon Slave crater was immediately apparent, the second scar on Hyrule's landscape. It was a depressing sight.

As Link fought to come up with a Plan B, in case the Temple of Time really _was_ completely demolished, the sorcerers suddenly wavered and dropped their flying height. They weren't even quite out of Hyrule Field yet – why were they going down?

Lydia groaned loudly What is this!?

Gordon also seemed to be having trouble staying in the air. I don't know! He tightened his grip on Link's arm. Dark magic again! I can't keep my own magic going!

Let's get on the ground, quick!

The sorcerers took a nosedive toward the ground in front of Hyrule Market, leveling off a little ways up. They dropped Link, who landed as gracefully as he could. The other two flew past him and hit the ground at the same time, rolling several feet before coming to a stop.

By the time Link got to them, they were already climbing to their feet, with their gazes glued to the sky.

Are you two all right? Link asked worriedly. What happened?

Lydia brushed herself off and looked at her brother. _That_ was weird

he replied wonderingly. Our magic got really weak all of a sudden when we got close to this area. But now that we're down here, I feel just fine. How bout you?

Me, too I feel strong enough to cast a Dragon Slave. Why couldn't I fly just then?

Link planted his hands on his waist. I'll bet I know.

The two sorcerers looked at him, interested in his idea.

On the ground, your magic is strong, he continued, but in the air, it's weak. I'm willing to bet Ganondorf somehow cursed the sky with anti-magic recently so we couldn't fly in and hit him with a sneak attack.

Gordon hummed. That would explain the dark magic up there.

Lydia crossed her arms. It pisses me off, but you gotta give him credit smart move on his part.

Link said, walking toward the entrance to the Market, that doesn't mean we can't walk in. Let's go.

They crossed the broken bridge and entered Hyrule Market. Eager to see if any of the Temple of Time remained, Lydia ran ahead. Gordon hung back with Link.

What if I really _did_ completely decimate the Temple? he asked the Hylian. What will we do then?

Link sighed. We may just have to try to navigate the Shadow Temple without it. We certainly can't give up because of it. Too much is riding on our success.

I don't like the sound of that.

Somewhere up ahead in the Market, Lydia's shrill scream pierced the chilly air and echoed off everything in sight.

I don't like the sound of that, either! Gordon shouted, dashing ahead. Link followed closely.

When they reached the square, they found it once again full of Redeads. One of them was clinging to Lydia's back, attempting to chew on her neck. All the while, she was shrieking with terror and disgust, trying to throw it off in her sheer panic.

she screamed. _Get off me, get off me!!_

Oh, no! Link shouted. I forgot about these guys!

**Elmekia Lance!!** Gordon threw a white arrow of magic into the Redead's side, knocking it off his sister and away. Before he was even finished with his spell, Link had the Ocarina of Time out and was playing the Sun's Song, freezing the remaining zombies in place.

Link was the first to reach Lydia's side, and she wasted no time attaching herself to the front of his tunic, fighting to keep herself from crying.

I've been attacked by countless zombies in videogames, she muttered through clenched teeth as her whole body shook, but I've never had it actually _happen_.

As the Hylian tried to comfort her, he lifted her hair and checked her neck, which seemed fine. All of her thrashing around during the attack must have thrown off the creature's aim. You all right? he asked anyway.

I..I think so. But I think I'm officially terrified of Redeads now With a shudder, she buried her face as far as she could into Link's shirt like a frightened child.

Can't say I blame you, she heard her brother say. Let's get out of here before they come around again.

They pressed on toward the Temple in a tightly huddled group. Lydia tightly held Link's hand as she tried to slow her heartbeat back to normality. Having a gross zombie climbing up her back trying to take a bite out of her had easily been one of the most terrifying experiences of her life, and she knew she wouldn't be quick to forget it.

After weaving through the group of frozen monsters, the site of the Temple of time became visible once more. Now that they were no longer in the air, it was much easier to see the real condition of the area. The Dragon Slave crater was so large that it had even blown away the upper western area of the Market. The Temple looked like it really _was_ gone from where they were standing, on the edge of the damage.

In southern Hyrule, Lydia's Slave crater was a huge, empty hole. Absolutely nothing remained within range of the spell. But this time, there was something different. Indeed, there was almost nothing left. But where the Temple of Time used to stand, there was an enormous pile of rubble spread around the crater. It looked like instead of being reduced to dust, the Temple had simply fallen apart. Even the great Door of Time had crumbled to pebbles.

But that's all that was there – rubble. Nothing even resembling the Pedestal of Time could be found. Nevertheless, the group started toward the center of the crater.

If _this_ much of it survived, Gordon suggested, There's got to be _something_ left

Lydia didn't feel as hopeful. Considering the power of that spell, I wouldn't be willing to bet on it. But we should look anyway, huh?

After a few minutes of walking, they reached the outer edges of the rubble pile. The center area of the crater was littered with rocks about as large as a human fist. This was all that was left of the great, legendary Temple of Time. Lydia was starting to actually feel the first pangs of hopelessness. In light of what they were seeing, even her usual optimism was wavering. But after only a few steps through the rock pile, Link and Gordon both stopped suddenly, paused, and looked at each other.

Startled by their sudden behavior, Lydia turned around. What's up? she asked them.

Link said nothing at first, and then turned to look at Gordon. Do you feel that?

the sorcerer replied wonderingly. My Triforce piece is reacting to

They suddenly looked ahead, then dashed past Lydia. Before she even realized what was going on, they were scrambling up the dirt pile. They both dove on the same spot and started digging frantically through the rocks, throwing debris to each side.

Without a Triforce piece of her own, Lydia was quite in the dark as to what they were doing, but scaled the rocks and helped them dig anyway. They were obviously on to something and she wanted a piece of it.

After several minutes of digging and several cuts on their hands, they caught sight of something that reflected even the ultra dim light of northern Hyrule. Link and Gordon both smiled, very satisfied with themselves, and Lydia just gaped in shock.

Sitting there in a cradle of tiny pebbles, completely intact and unscratched, was the Goron Ruby, the Spiritual Stone of Fire.

By the gods! Lydia gasped, carefully picking up the Ruby and holding it up. It's undamaged! It's even still _shiny_!

Link's gaze suddenly turned toward another end of the rubble pile, and without a single word, he got up and ran that way. Gordon, on the other hand, ran off in a different direction. Both were digging through the rocks again seconds later.

Lydia stayed behind, seated on a rather large rock, cradling the stone in her hands. She still couldn't believe that it had survived. Even though it wasn't much on its own, she looked at it like a brand new symbol of hope. Just when she thought the smile on her face couldn't stretch out any farther, Gordon and Link trailed back at about the same time and sat next to her. Gordon held the Zora's Sapphire, and Link held the Kokiri Emerald, both also completely undamaged.

All three Spiritual Stones were undamaged. That made the chance obvious that other things had survived, too. Right when that very thought ran through Lydia's head, Link and Gordon both once again turned their attention elsewhere.

Hold this, they both said to Lydia, each pushing their stones into her arms. They ran off back more toward where they had come from and started digging again. This time, cradling the Spiritual Stones in her arms, Lydia got up and followed. As she got close, Link shouted, It's here!

What is it? she asked excitedly, picking up her speed.

Back up, I'm gonna clear this thing off! Gordon shouted, motioning Link to move back. He stood up on the rock pile they had been digging through and aimed his hands downward. **Bomb Di Wing!** With a blast of wind energy, the rocks flew effortlessly in all directions. 

Lydia couldn't believe what she saw next. Gordon was standing on top of the Alter of Time. It didn't have a single crack in it. 

Link gave her an inviting look, and then glanced down at the Spiritual Stones. 

she said. Here, and here. She handed the green stone to Link, and the blue stone to Gordon. The three of them lined up in front of the alter and placed their stones into the hallows at the same time. Knowing what was supposed to happen next, the two sorcerers backed off and let Link do his part.

Link pulled the Ocarina of Time out of his tunic and began to play the Song of Time. The music was so soft and beautiful; the sorcerers couldn't help but feel their hearts warm. The song almost even seemed to have an effect on the barren surroundings. Everything seemed somehow brighter.

As soon as the final note finished wafting through the air, there was a bright flash of light up ahead, past where the Door of Time had once stood. Lydia immediately began jumping up and down with excitement! 

she shouted. I know what that is!

All three of them dashed past the Alter, their hearts filled with new hope. They all began to frantically dig at the spot where the light had flashed, ignoring the sharp little rocks cutting into their palms.

Please let it be there, please let it be there Link kept repeating as he threw rocks off to the side. Finally, his fingertips brushed against a familiar piece of stone. He pointed at it happily. Lyd, right here!

You got it! the sorceress shouted. Back up! 

The two boys backed off and hid behind Gordon's magic barrier, waiting to watch their plans fall back into place.

**Bomb Di Wing!** Lydia shouted, with an usual flare in her eyes. Walking as she kept the spell going as long as possible, she manipulated it as if she were blowing leaves out of her front yard, clearing away a fairly large area of the rocks. When she was finished, an entire platform had surfaced from the debris.

In the center was the Pedestal of Time, no worse for the wear.

Come on, guys! she shouted, slapping her brother a high-five. We've got a Lens of Truth to find! 

Gordon ran ahead to look at the Pedestal closely, as he always liked doing, and Lydia hung behind with Link. So, Hero, she said. Looks like things really _do_ have a way of working out. 

Link said. Actually, I was really worried for a while there.

We all were. But now the path is clear again. We'll go back in time, get that Lens, come back, and kick Ganondorf's butt!

Link stood over the Pedestal of Time, and memories flowed back suddenly. He remember pulling the Master Sword from this very spotwhen he opened his eyes again, he had aged seven years. Would replacing the Sword really send them back in time?

Lydia could see the doubts on his face. I trust Zelda, she said. Let's give it a try.

Her companion looked at her, then nodded, and slid the Master Sword out of its sheath with inhuman grace. Gordon and Lydia stood just behind him, each with a solid hold on one of his arms. They were determined that if Link was going anywhere, they were going, too.

Link paused momentarily, holding the Master Sword above the Pedestal. Then, with a determined shout, he rammed the Sword downward, plunging the blade as far as he could into the Pedestal of Time, back where it belonged.

Almost instantly, the platform Lydia had cleared off was covered in bright blue light that shot up to the sky. The brightness blinded them, and a rush of wind deafened them. In spite of herself, Lydia rammed her face into the back of Link's tunic and clung to him for dear life. 

In a bright flash of white light, all three of them disappeared, and the Master Sword once again slept peacefully.

The light and wind eventually died down, and Link cautiously opened his eyes. His hands were still tightly gripping the Master Sword, and the first thing he noticed was that he was no longer wearing gauntlets, and those hands were a lot smaller.

It can't be! he said out loud, surprising himself with his own young, childlike voice.

Looking down at himself, it was immediately apparent that he was indeed a child again. The Kokiri Sword and shield were once again hanging over his back. But that wasn't the only thing. Something was clinging to him. 

When it detached itself, he turned around and saw Lydia. But it was the little girl he had remembered meeting all that time ago. She was a lot shorter, her hair was longer, and her glasses were gone. Gordon was standing next to her. He was even smaller. The sight of him being shorter than his sister again was very strange.

the little sorcerer shouted, looking at himself. The sudden high-pitched ness of his voice made the other two want to laugh. It worked! Zelda was right!

little Lydia said, if we're like this again does that mean that the Hyrule outside is okay, too?

Well, judging from the fact that we're surrounded by the once-again-intact Temple of Time, I'd say so!

Come on, let's go look!

The two siblings ran ahead. Lydia paused long enough to turn and wave to Link. Let's go, Long Ears! We've got things to do!

Link smiled and started forward, but turned around after a few steps and gazed upon the sleeping Master Sword. The proper words for the moment wouldn't even come to him, but his heart was filled with admiration for the Sword's magnificence. It looked like they still had a chance to beat Ganondorf, and he was once again fully confident that they would set things right again.

The little Hylian gave the Sword a respectful salute, then ran through the open Door of Time and disappeared.

*~*~*~*

_Lydia: It has come to my attention that I mentioned up there somewhere that Lydia wears glasses (Thanks, Jedi Warrior. You get a cookie!). And, apparently, I forgot to mention somewhere that, like the real me, she gradually stopped wearing contact lenses. That what I went through, see. I wore contacts E-V-E-R-Y day my freshman year of high school, then started to tone it down, and eventually stopped wearing them all together. They just annoyed the living heck out of me and I said "Ah, forget it." So I'm mentioning it NOW, to avoid the trouble of working it into a previously written chapter. I hate doing that. Why make unnecessary changes to my stable little world? Lydia, like her brother, wears glasses as an adult. It doesn't really matter, since it's just a little detail... but I thought I should at least mention it.  
  
Link: ...*pokes Jedi Warrior* Hey, can I have some, too?_

Lydia: Back off, you mooch! That's HIS cookie. Touch it and I'll blast you.

Link: What do I have to do to get a cookie?

Lydia: You could be my slave for a day or something.

Link: ...And... how would that be any different from any other day?

Gordon: *comes in munching on a similar cookie* ...Hey, what's going on in here? Is it time for the next chapter already? What happened to our break?

Link: ...What the...? Where'd he get that?! Lyd, why do you always hide cookies so I, and only I, can't find them? *walks up to Gordon* Hey, where'd you find that?

Gordon: Well, I'd tell you, but Lydia said she'd do painful things to me if I did.

Link: Ooh, I see. *points past him* By the gods, what's that?!

Gordon: ....Oh, come ON. Lydia may fall for that but--

Link: *swiftly steals the cookie and runs like hell*

Gordon: HEY!

*both run into the next room* *sounds of shouting* *furniture crashs to the floor*

Lydia: ...Yes...Well, anyway, thanks for the heads-up. I'll get Chapter 26 re-written as soon as I can. Take care, everybody. May the Triforce be with you.

Gordon: *pokes his head back into the room* Hey, just so you know, Link found your cookie stash and wants to know where your car keys are so he can make a quick getaway.

Lydia: Damn it, Link, those are M-I-N-E!!! *runs out and disappears*


	28. Status Report 1172003

  
1-17-2003  
Oh, man. What a ridiculously busy month I've had. I should just move to a little uncharted island somewhere where no one will bother me and I can get lots of work done on this story. ...I wonder if I can get cable internet in the middle of the Pacific...?

Anyway, I'm sorry, everybody. Good news, though. My afternoons are getting relatively free, so I can probably start work on the next chapter next week. Yay! In the meantime, here are a couple things for you:

  
Sometime during December, I got bored and was feeling creative, so I drew a Christmas picture. I posted it at [my message boards][1], but the thought to put it up here completely didn't enter my mind until recently. So here you go, a little late, for your viewing pleasure!  
  
[Merry Christmas 2002!][2]

Even more fun! I was feeling pretty creative yesterday, too, and created a wallpaper. This is also up at [my message boards][1], and I'm putting it here as a thank you gift, because you're all being so patient with me. Go ahead and take a look! Download it if you want. Make your desktop a lot prettier.

[[ 800x600 ]][3]  
[[ 1024x760 ]][4]

Again, thanks everyone, for being so patient. Check back again soon - I'll try to produce some material.

Peace out,  
-Lydia-

   [1]: http://pub9.ezboard.com/bzeldainfinitesmessageboards
   [2]: http://www.zelda-infinite.com/files/fanart/GR/xmas2002.jpg
   [3]: http://www.zelda-infinite.com/files/wallpapers/800x600/ocarina800600.jpg
   [4]: http://www.zelda-infinite.com/files/wallpapers/1024x768/ocarina.jpg



	29. Chapter 26

Worlds Apart  
Part II

By Miss Lydia

_Chapter 26_

The afternoon sun was beating down viciously on Hyrule Market on this particular day – there was not a single cloud in sight to soften the rays. But that didn't stop anyone from doing what they always did everyday. The sounds of Hyruleans haggling with the street sellers filled the air, along with the lively music being played by a few in the corner. Couples danced to the music, and children kept themselves busy chasing the stray cuccos. Not a day went by that the Market was not bustling with activity, with the exception of a day just past. That was the day of Princess Zelda's mysterious disappearance. Everybody had been too nervous to even leave their homes.

But now the initial shock of the incident had passed, and everyone was distracting themselves by coming out and talking to everyone _else_ about it. Some people were telling it like it was, and some others were adding a little spice of their own.

She vanished into thin air! one man said.

Just like that?! another replied nervously.

This is a dark, dark time for Hyrule

Yeah. I assume you saw that huge explosion in the Field the other day?

I thought it was doomsday. We're lucky to be alive, I think.

There's a huge crater out there now.

I wonder what kind of evil being did that? Perhaps the same thing that stole the princess.

Do you think so?

There were also some other conversations that were even _more_ colorful.

It was a giant black winged horse! It swooped out from a Hell portal and stole her away!

No, it wasn't that simple! There were these dark clouds, and from them came a giant cucco with teeth, and it was hungry!

You raving idiot! No such thing exists!

Oh yeah?! I didn't say that when you told me the other day that you saw flying kids!

I _did!_ Flying without wings!

And you say _I'm_ crazy

The entire market was filled with conversations like this. Everyone was so busy making up stories with one another that no one noticed the three kids come running from the direction of the great Temple of Time. They paused for a moment in the market. Their young eyes were filled with happiness, and if someone were to look carefully, they'd also see hope in those eyes.

After only a moment's hesitation, the three began to weave their way through the masses of people scattered throughout the Market. Their small bodies were knocked back and forth repeatedly by the broad hips of the tall people around them, causing the small girl to mutter a very adult word or two as she tried to keep her balance. 

Lydia groaned loudly after almost being knocked down. Dammit, I'm not used to being so small!

Just keep going. Gordon replied with an annoyed growl in his child-like voice as he got himself stuck in a tangle of shoppers at a booth.

Little Link was actually doing pretty well maneuvering himself through the masses of people in comparison to his two human companions. Let's just be thankful that there are people here, huh? At least they're not ReDeads.

You _do_ have a point, said Lydia, stomping on someone's toes. Come on, people, make way!

After several more minutes of this, the three finally broke through the mob and made their way as quickly as possible to Hyrule Field. The sight of the Field, lit by the bright sun of the day, still untainted by Ganondorf's evil that would plague it over the next seven years made all three of them smile slightly. There had been some times when they had forgotten what pre-Ganondorf Hyrule had looked like.

But they couldn't stand there very long to admire the scenery. They had a job to do.

With quick words of magic, they took flight and zipped toward where Kakariko Village was visible on the horizon. Gordon flew solo, and Lydia carried Link, as usual. Lydia was in an unusually good mood and almost decided against dragging Link through a passing tree's branches just for fun. _Almost_.

The group landed at the mouth of the old well. They had never really paid attention to the well's appearance the first time they had been this age, but now that they had gotten a second chance, they all silently noticed how exactly-the-same it looked. It should look seven years younger, having faced seven less years of weather-wear, but every single chip in the stone was still stubbornly in place. It was like the well wouldn't age. An effect of the shadow spirit? Ganondorf's magic? Both?

The two sorcerers peered down into the well, having to stand on the very tips of their toes to see. Instead of evil-looking darkness, they were greeted by a full load of water. Lydia immediately made a mental statement of how inconvenient that was. Weren't they supposed to go down there?

Link, off to the side and too busy pulling twigs out of his hair to join the other two at the well quite yet, asked loudly, 

Lydia straightened and turned to face him. Yeah. A _lot_. She paused, staring at Link, and tried not to laugh. She lifted a finger and pointed to her ear. Missed one.

Lifting a hand toward his own ear, Link's fingers found the pointy end of a twig tucked back there. He pulled it out with an annoying groan, and glared at the little leaf attached to the twig. The thing seemed to be mocking him. Throwing the twig down, along with the sarcastic leaf, he asked, Will that be a problem?

Hard to say. As I've said before, the kid and I both have water-breathing magic, but if we get into a battle down there, your sword would be useless. You'd be pretty much screwed.

Gordon scoffed loudly and straightened up. Looking at Link, he said, Don't you just love how bluntly she puts things?

_Too_ bluntly, the little Hylian.

In too good a mood to argue back, she simply shrugged. Besides, they were right.

Seriously, though, Gordon muttered, slumping down into a sitting position with his back pressed to the well's cold stone. This is going to be a problem. What are we gonna do now?

Link stood silent for a moment, then suddenly his eyes widened. Of _course!_ he shouted, snapping his fingers. How could I forget?!

the sorceress asked curiously.

Without waiting for any sort of reply, the Hylian took off. The sorcerers quickly followed. They climbed the stairs that led to the windmill, and once at the top, Link whispered for them to stay where they were and went on ahead.

What's he doing? Lydia whispered as Link opened the door and ducked inside. She turned to look at her brother and was surprised to see a smirk on his face.

I think I know, he replied coolly. Just watch. This is gonna be good.

It was then that they heard soft music. Lydia recognized it as soon as the shivers crawled up her spine. It was that creepy song he had played with the windmill guy a little while ago

_Of course!_ she suddenly shouted in her head. _I get it! Way to go, Long Ears!_

Proud of herself for figuring things out on her own, she eagerly awaited to see what would happen.

First came the rolling thunder overhead, and then the brief and light rain that showered Kakariko. The blades of the windmill suddenly started moving faster and faster. The sorcerers then heard the rush of water coming from the well, and turned in time to watch the water quickly disappear from their sight.

The water was gone, the rain stopped, and the clouds cleared. But the show wasn't quite over. Almost immediately, loud, angry shouting sounded from inside the windmill. They heard crashing, as if furniture was being thrown about inside. The door suddenly burst open and Link practically flew out, his arms held up over his head to protect himself from the various small objects that sailed out after him. He took a sharp turn and darted for the stairs. _Run for it!_ he yelled to the sorcerers, who were staring at him in bewilderment. Not about to wait around for the wrath of the windmill guy, they turned on their heels and bolted down the stairs.

Lydia huffed. The one who messed up the windmill seven years ago' really_ was_ you, huh?

Geez, Link, Gordon managed to say as he tried to catch his breath, he really wanted your blood!

Who knew such a quiet guy could have such a violent side? Link answered, trying to sound innocent.

The three were crouched behind a house, out of sight of the windmill. They all agreed that it probably wasn't wise to go into the well _just_ yet. Better to wait until the windmill guy cooled down a little bit, just in case he saw them. None of them had a death wish.

Once Link could no longer hear the muffled shouts and curses from inside the windmill, he decided it was probably safe to make for the well. As they stood up, Lydia suddenly spoke.

Hey, wait a minute, wait a damn minute. She had one of her hands on her chin in serious thought. She unconsciously reached up with a finger to push her glasses up the bridge of her nose, forgetting that she didn't wear glasses when she was ten. It was complete habit. After another moment of silence, she said, That creepy song you used. Where did it come fromif you learned it from him, and he learned it from you?

A stunned silence fell over all three of them, and for several awkward seconds, they just stood there, staring at one another. Finally, Gordon turned and started walking. he muttered, let's not worry too much about it.

Link agreed quickly, falling into step beside Gordon.

Lydia walked just behind them, muttering to herself. I smell a time paradox. Either that, or the gaping maw of a plot hole.

Link hissed back. Just forget it.

She reached up and gripped her head with her arms in an exaggerated gesture. Damn, my head hurts.

Once they had reached the well and peered down inside, they saw both a good thing and a bad thing. The good thing was that the water had indeed completely drained, allowing free movement and solving Link's problem. The bad thing, which Lydia promptly pointed out, was that the darkness they remembered from the last time they went down there had multiplied exponentially in thickness. Was it their imagination? Or was it really darker, for some reason?

The shadow spirit, Gordon suddenly said. Have we forgotten? The spirit won't break free from the ward on this well for another seven years. It's still down there.

Lydia muttered very slowly. Is that what's making it so dark?

Probably. Let's see The young sorcerer's voice trailed away in thought as he created a ball of light in his hand. He dropped it down into the well, and all three watched intently as it floated downward. I hadn't gotten five feet down there when it suddenly disappeared.

Link's voice caught in his throat. When he found it again, he moaned, It sure didn't get very far, did it? The darkness justsnuffed it.

Lydia whispered, her voice softened by thought and wonder at the same time. It's not snuffed. It's still lit – I can feel it. We just can't see it, is all.

That doesn't make me feel any better about going down there.

Nor I, Gordon said as he started to climb up onto the stone. But we still have to.

The two boys swung over the side and worked their toes into the nicks in the stone, and started downward, disappearing into the magical darkness within seconds. Reluctantly, Lydia swung herself over and followed, concentrating on holding onto the stone with her shaking hands. Various thoughts were racing through her head all at once, and the one that surfaced the most often was I wanna go home'. She scolded herself almost immediately. She couldn't turn tail and run now. They were getting so close. Two more sages to go.

The darkness was wrapped around her like a thick blanket, and she felt like it would suffocate her. She couldn't hear the movements of either of the boys below her, which made her feel even more alone. _Keep going_, she kept saying to herself. _Keep going_.

As she continued to reassure her already nervous spirit, her foot suddenly hit the floor. Her ankle twisted and she fell backward with a yelp. A pair of arms caught her before she got very far, and she clung to them as she tried to regain her balance.

You all right? Link's young voice said from somewhere behind her.

Physically, I'm fine, she replied. She turned around slowly and could _just_ make out Link's face in front of her, and Gordon's off to the left. Just above them was a tiny ball of dim light – the light spell Gordon had thrown down here. Even when cast by a sorcerer as young as Gordon currently was, it should have been much brighter than that. The kid was right – this was magical darkness. It was feeding on the light spell, sucking the light away into some unseen abyss.

But otherwise she continued. I'm really nervous. This place is really freaking me out. Seriously. Look at my hands shake.

I know what you mean, her brother said, trying to sound reassuring. This is a dark magic hotbed.

What about that light spell? Link asked, his face tilted upward. Do you think it would matter if you were to make more light?

The sorcerers looked at each other. The Hylian had a point. Would fusing more light spells with the one already down here make things any brighter? Or would the darkness just keep up with them and keep things as dark as this? It was worth experimenting, anyway. Each of them silently created a little ball of light in their hands, and willed it upward. The three balls of light joined together and brightened significantly.

Normally, three light spells fused in this fashion would be enough to sufficiently light an entire auditorium. Down here, it was barely bright enough to make the well walls visible.

But it was enough. As soon as the light spells fused, Link's sharp eyes caught sight of a long, dark tunnel. His face bared an I-thought-so look. That tunnel lay where that rock seal had been last time they had come down in this well. This was the tunnel that Ganondorf would later seal away.

With Link's direction, the two sorcerers saw the tunnel, as well. With all kinds of reluctance and hesitation, they slowly started inside, pulling the almost-useless super light spell behind them.

The super light spell did a little bit of good – it helped them see that the tunnel was about six to eight feet wide and the walls slowly turned from packed dirt to stone the farther in they went. But the dome the light spell created was otherwise very small and not very helpful at all. And it was deathly quiet in this place. If one really wanted to mentally disturb someone, they'd put them in a situation like this. The three walked, huddled together in the quiet darkness, clinging to each other as if afraid that the darkness would suck them away completely. The entire world extended only as far as the light spell could reach. Everything else in the known universe seemed to be gone forever.

After a few minutes of walking in silent disturbance and fear, the tunnel came to an abrupt end, where Link suddenly found a wall with his face. As he held his nose and wished all sorts of curses upon whatever hit him, the two sorcerers pulled the light forward and found a thick dirt wall in front of them. At first, they thought they'd hit a dead end and had come down here for nothing, and then they both noticed something at the same time. Near the floor was a small hole in the wall, just small enough for a child to crawl though.

Link and Gordon considered this hole a convenience, but Lydia considered it an annoyance. Now they no longer had a reason to go back. She protested repeatedly, having absolutely no desire to crawl through this tiny hole. Link reminded her that it was the only way. But it wasn't his reasoning as much as the look on his face that convinced her to press forward. His young face had a look on it that both pleaded with her and sympathized with her. His eyes were begging her to continue with them, but also knew how scared she was and seemed to communicate that everything would be all right.

Whatever it was, Lydia ended up dragging herself along the ground on her elbows, just behind the two boys, with the light spell following at her heels. The hole was pretty small – her back kept brushing on the ceiling of this tiny tunnel. She wasn't necessarily claustrophobic, but this little thing was making her really nervous.

Thankfully, the little tunnel wasn't very long. Link was the first to emerge on the other side, and he immediately breathed with wonder. Something here was very different. Gordon followed and had a similar reaction.

What's up? Lydia asked, pulling herself out of the hole. She suddenly froze before she was completely up and looked around. The darkness that had plagued them since the beginning had suddenly retreated. This new room was completely lit by ordinary torches that hung from sconces on the walls. The deathly quiet was now also mellowed to the point where the trio could hear distant voices. They were creepy spiritual voices, but it was something.

But the wonder of this sudden change of environment was gone quickly as soon as they realized that they had crawled into a small, dead-end room. There was no hole in the far wall this time. Instead of a hole, there was an aged skeleton embedded partway into the wall, which made Lydia swallow hard at the sight of it.

What now? Gordon wondered aloud.

We go back? Lydia asked hopefully.

Link shook his head and slowly stepped forward. There _must_ be something in here. Why else would Ganondorf seal this up? As he spoke, he eyeballed the wall with the skeleton in it. He couldn't put a finger on it, but something about that wall was just weird. The little Hylian stepped up to the wall and raised a fist to knock on it. 

What are you looking for? he heard Lydia ask from behind him. A secret door or something?

_Anything, he replied. With a swift movement, he brought his fist forward to knock on the wall, but his hand, instead of hitting the stone, went __thorough it effortlessly. He yelped in shock, Lydia let out a quick scream, and Gordon gasped._

He quickly brought his hand back and tucked it protectively against his chest. Once he saw that everything was still there and worked properly, he moved forward to touch the wall again. Again his hand went right through. This time, he pushed his whole arm in. Then suddenly, he stuck his entire torso through.

In any other situation, the sight of Link's lower half sticking out of a wall would have caused Lydia a case of side-splitting laughter, but she was too weirded out to even react.

What is it? Gordon asked, trying to hide the nervousness in his voice.

Link's upper half appeared again and he turned to look at them. It's a fake wall. Some kind of illusion. There's a huge room on the other side. Without another word, he stepped completely through the wall.

Gordon turned to his wide-eyed sister, nodded once, and then disappeared through the wall as well.

Lydia suddenly found herself faced with an inner conflict and began to argue with herself. She was already freaked out behind reason, and going any farther into this horrible place did not please her at all. On the other hand, she was now standing _alone in this horrible place, with only an old skeleton for company. It grinned at her, as if inviting her to join it._

_Hell freaking no!_ she silently shouted at it, then took a breath and walked through the wall with her eyes closed.

When she opened her eyes again, the wall was behind her, and the two boys were standing just ahead, surveying the new scenery. This room they were in was much, much larger, with two large doorways on each side. The walls and floor were aged, cracked, and a bit smelly, and somewhere off in the distance, the irritating sound of dripping water could be heard.

Which way? Link asked aloud.

Lydia decided it really didn't matter at this point. Right-hand rule. It works in videogames. Let's take the right hall.

Gordon simply shrugged and followed quietly.

They hadn't taken three steps with Link suddenly stiffened. His swift hand yanked the Kokiri Sword from the tiny sheath, and he motioned the other two against the left wall. He pressed himself against the wall just beside the entryway into the left hallway and stood poised, ready to strike.

What set off his sixth sense showed itself right away. It was something that Lydia had never expected to see and had to fight herself _really hard to avoid reacting out loud. It was a giant skull with wings, covered with green fire. The wings, which seemed proportionally all wrong compared to the size of the head, flapped up and down. The huge jaw did the same thing – loosely dancing up and down as the skull moved forward. It was sogangly looking. There's really no other word to describe it._

The green skull moved through the room, either completely unaware of the presence of the three kids or completely uncaring, and disappeared into the right hallway.

Nobody moved until the green light from the flames was no longer visible. Nobody said anything right away, all of them thoroughly freaked out. Gordon was first to speak.

How about wetake the _left_ hallway?

Lydia quickly agreed. It seemed completely plausible to head the opposite way that thing went. Silently, they slipped away from the aged wall and ducked into the left hallway.

Walking once again in a tight group, the trio moved slowly through the hallway, unconsciously trying not to make too much noise with their feet. They were all on full alert, ready for any changes in the environment, and at the same time hoping that nothing would happen.

The hallway, after some time, took a right turn, then continued straight for a while longer. Completely straight, completely uneventful. Lydia counted fifteen identical wall sconces before something finally changed. Another hallway branched off to the right, and the one they were in continued on farther.

Gordon asked Link. The right branch, or do we keep going?

Link was about to answer when green light suddenly appeared ahead. Everyone saw the light, but only Link heard the faint beating of disproportioned wings coming closer.

The right branch! he hissed, and pulled both of the sorcerers into the branching hallway. They pressed their backs against the wall and held their breaths, trying to be invisible. After a few nervous moments, another giant green skull flew past them, continuing down the corridor they had been walking in, then disappeared from sight.

Lydia groaned, detaching herself from the wall. _Another one?_

Link replied quietly. I think it was the same one He glanced over at Gordon for confirmation. Wasn't it?

Gordon thought for a moment, and then said, Perhaps that corridor wasn't a left or right, but rather, two ends of a circle.

his sister said, it's the same skull traveling in a circle through this place? Well, I don't know about you boys, but I don't really feel like walking down _that_ corridor anymore. She turned her gaze meaningfully into the branched hallway they had ducked into. Let's go this way.

The new corridor they were in stretched far ahead into blackness. Link, as usual, took the lead. It would probably be best anyway. If anything was in store for them up ahead in this creepy place, he would definitely be the first to find it.

And find something he did. Or rather, it found him. The two sorcerers looked on as Link suddenly disappeared through the floor with a strangled yelp. To stunned to even move at first, they heard him land somewhere below.

Silence.

Finally finding their legs again, the sorcerers ran forward to where he had disappeared and knelt down. Gordon put his hand out and felt the floor, and watched as his hand went right through.

Of all the stupid-ass trickery! the sorcerer snarled. It's a fake _floor! Just like that wall! **Levitation!** He swung himself down into the invisible hole and vanished. Lydia ground her teeth together, then followed._

As the magic lowered her down through the floor, she broke through the ceiling of an enormous room. The walls were made completely of what looked like packed mud or dark stone. It didn't look very man-made. The room looked somewhat natural. The floor was littered with little puddles of Well, she wasn't sure what it was. Sure wasn't water.

Between two of these puddles, Link was crumpled on the ground, slowly and painfully trying to pick himself up, but not having much luck. Gordon touched down beside him and spoke too quietly for Lydia to hear. As soon as she was low enough to do it safely, she prematurely canceled the Levitation spell and dropped the rest of the way down at a normal speed.

Anything broken? she heard Gordon ask Link.

Link's answer was more of a loud moan than words, but he managed to say, I don't think so. Ugh, everything hurts

Lydia knelt down and took a gentle grip on his arm. That was a long fall Are you sure you're all right?

The Hylian looked up and was thrown off balance momentarily by the look of genuine worry on her childlike face. He smiled as warmly as he could and said softly, I think I'll be okay. Just need to – ouch – stand up

She heard Link moan loudly as he tried to get up again. But with the horror of a sudden realization, she noticed that it wasn't Link moaning at all. Both of the boys heard the moaning as well and began to look around them.

All at once, they saw the culprit. A culprit that was all around them.

Redeads. Dozens of Redeads. They had appeared out of the darkness and were staggering toward them at a slow but still frightening pace. If the three stayed where they were much longer, there would be no easy escape. 

Link's quick eyes immediately started scanning the walls that he could barely see anyway. Off to the left, he caught sight of a gaping hallway. A way out! He motioned Gordon in that direction.

Gordon draped one of Link's arms around his shoulders, helped him to his feet, and started toward the hallway as quickly as they could move. The Redeads seemed to move faster, intent on not letting the fresh meat escape. 

Suddenly, Link realized that Lydia wasn't following and motioned for Gordon to stop. The sorceress was still rooted to the spot, frozen in the most utter and horrible fear that could grip a person, like a deer caught in a pair of car headlights.

he shouted, remembering the incident in the Market that had planted a seed for her new Redead phobia. Get out of there!

But she just stood there, staring at the flaky zombies closing in on her. Her wide eyes didn't even blink once. Her small arms trembled visibly and her teeth chattered with fear.

Link knew that if he didn't do something quick she wouldn't get away in time. He broke away from Gordon's grasp before the sorcerer could stop him and bolted forward. Pain shot up his legs and body with every step, but he ignored it completely.

Lydia was completely detached from the world of reality, pulled away violently by her fear. Everything around her was gone, with the exception of the ruined bodies and gaping, hungry mouths of the Redeads, coming closer and closer to her. Suddenly, something tightly gripped her wrist, and for a terrifying moment, she thought one of the creatures had snuck up on her. But the sight of Link's face brought her back down to earth. In too much of a hurry to speak, Link turned around to run back, pulling her behind him. Suddenly aware of what was going on around her, Lydia came back to her senses all at once and fought to keep up.

Too late, however. Redeads now blocked the way to the exit, and Gordon was no longer in sight. Link skidded to a stop and tried to think quickly. He almost asked Lydia if there were any spells she could try, but quickly realized that she was so terrified that she could barely walk. Spell casting would be out of the question. The girl was clinging to his arm so tightly he feared it would fall off, her eyes wide and fixed on the zombies.

As Link fought hard to try to think of a second escape option, he heard Gordon's voice somewhere behind the zombie mob, chanting a spell in harsh tone. Suddenly, the small sorcerer appeared high above the Redeads, flying upward in a magically aided leap. In his right hand he held a giant ball of pure white light. He hung up near the ceiling for but a moment, and then propelled himself downward, just behind where Link and Lydia were stranded.

**_Rah-Tilt!!_** he bellowed, and struck the ground with the spell, which exploded on contact and spread throughout the room. As soon as the sparking white light hit the Redeads, they all growled in pain and dissolved into nothing, completely obliterated by their greatest weakness – white magic.

After another moment, the light faded. Gordon was still crouched on the floor, breathing very heavily from the amount of effort it had required to make his six-year-old body produce a potent Rah-Tilt. He stood up slowly, almost dramatically. He triumphantly dusted his hands off and turned around to check on his companions. Link was holding onto Lydia very tightly, who in turn had her face buried in his shirt.

Gordon cleared his throat, and Link slowly opened one eye. He slowly released his grip on Lydia and proceeded to look at himself, as if checking to make sure everything was still there. Gordon suddenly found himself trying not to laugh.

were you afraid that spell was going to destroy you, too? he asked with obvious amusement. It was _white magic. You're not undead – it wasn't gonna get _you_._

Link turned red all the way to his ears. I knew that.

Heh, sure you did. You guys okay?

Lydia was looking slowly around the room, fighting to stop shaking. A-Are they gone? she asked nervously.

For now. Knowing Redeads, they'll regenerate before long. As he spoke, the sorcerer began leading the other two toward the exit. Best to be out of here before that happens.

As soon as they were out of the giant undead room and into the seemingly safe hallway, Link collapsed onto a knee, no longer able to fight the pain that wracked through his body in pulses. Lydia helped him to lean against the wall and knelt beside him. She looked up at her brother and said, Why don't you scout a little ways ahead and see what's up there?

You bet, the boy replied, and then started down the corridor slowly. He hadn't gotten very far when his sister's voice stopped him.

Hey kid? she called.

He turned around and saw her smiling at him.

Good show back there.

Gordon smiled at her compliment and gave her a thumbs-up. I may be the smallest right now, he called back, but I remain the coolest. With a confident smirk, he turned back around and disappeared into the darkness.

Lydia's smile didn't fade, even after her brother had vanished from view. Yes, indeed, she said softly. Then she turned her attention to Link, whose eyes were closed as he winced at the pain from some unseen wound.

What hurts? she asked him, preparing a healing spell between her small hands.

Link groaned loudly in response.

Okay, does anything _not_ hurt?

he whispered. The tip of my right elbow is okay, I think.

Lydia couldn't help but giggle. If he could make jokes, he wasn't as badly hurt as she thought. She concentrated the spell on his chest, figuring that was as good a place as any to begin.

Neither of them said anything for several moments. Lydia worked her magic in relative silence; until she thought of something she should probably say.

she stammered.

Link looked up in reaction to her voice.

Thanks for back there. I don't know what came over me. They probably would have been snacking on me if not for you.

The boy smiled at her. He remembered that he hadn't had a second thought about it. She had been in danger, and his legs had just moved on their own. Don't worry about it. Let's not forget – I'm the hero of this story. I'm supposed to doheroic stuff.

The healing spell slowly faded and disappeared. In a swift motion, Lydia wrapped her arms around Link's neck and rested her forehead on his shoulder.

I'm glad you're always there to do heroic stuff, she whispered. I hope you always will be.

Link paused for a moment, and then smiled and returned the embrace, slipping his healed arms around her small waist. I will be. I promise.

Every one of Gordon's brain cells was dancing with worry as he snuck through the dark hallway. The deathly quiet had returned and that made him feel horribly uneasy, especially since he was alone this time. The slightest sound made him jump and caused his imagination to play tricks. He laughed at himself – he had all but forgotten how wild his little imagination had been when he was this age. It was really working against him now, and he fought to keep control and not let it take over.

The hallway ended rather suddenly and opened up into a fairly large room. Not nearly as large as the Redead room, but not very small either.

What was in the room made Gordon's breath catch in his throat and die there. He stood in the doorway in revoltion, staring into the room. The boy was horrified by thethe sheer _weirdness_ of what he was seeing. Without giving himself enough time to make sense of it, he turned around on his heel and ran back the way he had come.

Running shortened the distance significantly, and he quickly came upon Link and Lydia again. The Hylian was just then standing up on his own. He looked much better.

They saw him running back and immediately, and correctly, assumed trouble, and ran forward to meet him. Gordon said nothing, but instead silently beckoned them to follow, then turned back once more.

As they got close to where Gordon had stopped, they heard him whisper back to them. Wait until you guys see this.

Lydia and Link gave each other puzzled looks, each one's imagination running away with them.

The hallway opened up into the room again, and Gordon stopped them at the doorway, where he had stopped. Once glance back showed the boy that the other two were having a very similar reaction – one of revoltion and disturbance.

In this dark, damp room, there was a dark floor made of tightly packed soil. The room was empty except for the arms. Clammy, slimy-looking, pasty white arms were sticking out of the ground, reaching for the ceiling with their bony fingers. These arms were arranged in a circle in the middle of the room. They didn't move much, except for the very gentle, almost undetectable swaying back and forth as they continued to try to touch the ceiling.

What theare those Link asked aloud, his voice unusually small and quiet.

Lydia was shaking visibly again. Not really from fear this time, but more from the mental disturbance of the sight. C-Can we go back to the Redead room now? she asked meekly.

See what I mean? Gordon asked. I don't even know what to make of this.

Who would? Link wondered, carefully drawing his sword. I guess I'll go see what they are. His gaze turned to Lydia almost instantly, knowing what she was going to say. Don't worry, I'll be careful.

He sucked in a long breath to steady himself, then started to edge forward, keeping the sword in a ready position in front of his body. He was almost certain he was only imagining it, but the room seemed to get colder the farther in he got. As he closed in on one of the clammy zombie arms, it became apparent that each one of them was at least twice as long as he was tall, which was somewhat off-putting, to say the least.

Back in the doorway, Gordon felt his sister's hand close down on his left arm. Be ready for anything, he whispered to her.

Nobody had to tell her that, but Lydia nodded anyway, and continued to quietly watch Link get closer and closer to one of those things. She started to get a really nasty feeling in the pit of her stomach, and swallowed hard to keep the butterflies down as the Hylian slowly reached his sword out and attempted to touch one of the arms with the tip of the blade.

With sudden and incredible speed, the arm suddenly moved and the hand flew down to grab whatever had wandered into its territory. Link tried to roll away, but the hand got a vicious grip on the back of his neck and held him fast. The feeling of the ice-cold, clammy fingers digging into his neck made the boy want to scream, and he struggled hard, wanting nothing more than to make those cold fingers go away forever.

Before anyone could react any further, the soil in the middle of the circle started to shift, and a large creature lifted itself out of the ground. The sight of the thing made Lydia gasp in horror. It was even taller than the arms, and wore the same color and skin type. The bulk of it was all in the lower half – a blob with no visible legs. The thing's arms had no hands, and were tiny and stubby, flailing back and forth with minds of their own as the creature moved. The head looked like nothing more than another limb and was sticking straight up in the air. If the thing had a face, it wasn't visible from where anyone was standing.

And it was heading right for Link, who was still held in place by the arm that had nabbed him.

Lunchtime, huh? Link growled bravely at it. With his nimble fingers, he turned his sword around in his hand and stabbed backward, catching the arm at the base. The hand trembled violently and the fingers loosened their grip. He rolled free immediately and stood up at a safe range from the arm circle, and watched as the creature slowly waddled after him.

The sorcerers moved forward, but Link help up a hand. I think I can take care of Ugly, he called back. Just keep those arms off me. Without waiting for them to either agree or protest, he readied the sword again and stood still, waiting for the thing to approach.

After what seemed like hours, the thing finally was almost upon them. The top limb, the one that looked like a neck, trembled and started to arch down toward him. From the very top of the neck, the face appeared. A gaping mouth full of enormous, blunt teeth, accompanied by beady black eyes were both staring at him now. The mouth opened and reached for his face.

Link agilely swung the sword in a wide arch, catching the creature across the eyes with the sharp edge. The thing recoiled slightly, then hissed and turned to him again. The skin that had been broken by the sword melded back together and it made another grab for Link, who rolled away off to the left. However, he did so trying to recover from the shock of seeing the thing heal itself, and misjudged the distance, finding himself right at the base of another arm. It came down before he could move again and took a firm grip on his right shoulder. The feeling of the cold hands sunk right through his clothes, making him feel disgusted all over again. To compound the problem, a second arm attacked from the left, grabbing hold of Link's sword arm.

Caught in the trap again, Link struggled violently as Ugly made his way slowly toward him. Then, coming in like the cavalry, the two sorcerers ran around from either side of Ugly and passed him, both clutching magical fire whips. In a single synchronized motion from both of them, the two arms fell over like dead trees, and Link rolled free again.

But Ugly made things so it wouldn't be that easy. More arms sprung from the ground almost instantly, and decided that the two morsels with magic would taste much better, and made a grab for them. Gordon, being the smaller, managed to squirm out of the way just enough that the clammy hand only managed to nab the hem of his shirt, which he promptly pulled free. Lydia, on the other hand, managed to get her whole upper arm into another arm's grasp.

The fear factor of this whole well episode was really starting to get to her, and anger began to mix with the fright. As the fright made her scream repeatedly, the anger moved her free arm up to swing the fire whip like a lasso, and then slap it down at the base of the arm. It burned quickly, and Lydia ran out of the way, soon horrified to find that even though she was well away from the circle, the detached hand still had a grip on her arm.

As Gordon helped Lydia pry the nasty fingers from her arm, Link was busy facing off with Ugly again. It was moving just the same as before – the slow waddle, arms dancing back and forth, neck wobbling in a strangely confident manner. Link lay in wait as it approached and brought its face down again. This time, Link rammed the sword directly into its eye, hoping to damage a more vital part. Once again, Ugly recoiled, but didn't back down. The eye just put itself back together.

Link backed away almost to the hallway in a temporary retreat, where the two sorcerers joined him.

No good? Lydia asked, feverishly brushing her arm off where the monster had grabbed her.

I don't understand! Link growled angrily, clutching the sword so tightly that his knuckles were losing their color. This thing is obviously undead! The Master Sword should be able to—

He stopped midsentence, and stared downward. He had completely forgotten. The Master Sword was safely resting in the Pedestal of Time. All he had was this Kokiri _Dagger_. While the Master Sword would indeed be able to slay an undead creature without a second thought needed, the Kokiri Sword was—

he muttered to himself. This Kokiri Sword can't do anything!

The two sorcerers looked at each other for a moment and smiled. No sweat! Lydia said. We'll just have to make it a Super Kokiri Sword!

They each leaned around Link and wrapped their small hands around the blade, and after a moment, white magic began appearing. As they charged the sword with whatever anti-undead magic it was, Link kept his eyes on Ugly. It sure was a good thing he was taking his time catching his lunch.

He was too busy watching the monster to notice that Lydia and Gordon had finished the spell. He only woke up when Lydia shoved him in the back. The spell won't hold onto an ordinary sword very long! she shouted. Go beat him up before you lose it!

Link didn't need to be told twice. Not about to wait for Ugly to come to him, he charged forward with the sword held out to the side. Ugly, not sure how to react to his lunch coming to _him_ for a change, lowered his head and opened his mouth, and waited for his meal to run in.

The Hylian got there just in time to avoid losing the spell. He could feel the magic loosening and preparing to explode. He rammed the sword forward toward the monster's face, and Ugly started to clamp his teeth together. The monster froze mid-bite as the blade of the sword went right through the back of its throat. Link kept it there just long enough for the magic to release. In a bright flash of light, Ugly's head was blown into dust, and the rest of the body flopped backward in a heap. The circle of arms all trembled at once, then disappeared back into the soil.

The room quieted again, save for Lydia's enthusiastic cheers from behind him. As he moved to sheath the sword again, he stopped and stared at his wrist. All around it were big teeth marks. If he had been just a second slower, he may not have had a left hand anymore. He shuddered at the thought as Lydia ran up beside him and Gordon playfully punched his shoulder.

Lydia groaned, staring at what remained of Ugly. That was a disturbingly gruesome demise. Nice work, though.

You guys, too, he replied with a smile, dusting his hands off casually. "Bit of a close one for my sword hand, though."

Gordon had his eyes glued on the creature. Not really at Ugly himselfbut at the faint glimmer he saw wedged under the body. He wandered over and knelt down next to it, trying his best to ignore the smell the remains were giving off. It was some kind of object, but he couldn't tell what. He wrapped his tiny fingers around it and tried to pull it free, but Ugly was just too big. He called his companions over and pointed out his find.

Link was immediately intrigued, and tried to shove the creature's body off the object, but wasn't quite strong enough. He glanced over at Lydia, who seemed disgusted by the fact that he was touching the monster. Can you help me with this?

The girl was absolutely appalled. You want _me_ to touch it?!

All it took was another one of those meaningful looks on Link's face. Lydia rolled her sleeves up and took a deep breath. The two counted to three, then shoved on Ugly's hide with all the might their child bodies cared to offer. Link grunted from the effort, and Lydia whined very loudly in disgust.

Gordon, still crouched on the ground, waited until the creature had been rolled just enough, and reached his hand under. When he brought it back, he had the shiny object tightly clutched in his small hand.

Link let go of the monster with a great sigh and stepped back to look at what Gordon had found. Lydia, on the other hand, danced away quickly, shaking her hands up and down as hard as she could, whining something awful. She repeatedly cast water spells on her hands until she was certain all of Ugly's yuckiness was off them.

What is it? Gordon wondered.

It looked like a really old-fashioned magnifying glass. The lens was the most interesting part of it. One side of the glass was red, the other a deep blue.

Link laughed at himself for not realizing what it was immediately. It's the Lens of Truth, he stated with a smile. It _has_ to be.

Gordon turned it over and over to look at it thoroughly. This little thing?

What did you find? Lydia called, wiping her hands on her pants.

What we _think_ is the Lens of Truth.

Lydia stared. That little thing? she asked, repeating her brother's words.

Link took the probably-the-Lens from Gordon and tucked it into his tunic front. We'll soon know, he said matter-of-factly, and started walking into the hallway they had come from. The two sorcerers, hopeful that they had found what they had come down into this living nightmare for.

When the hallway broke into the giant Redead room, they immediately took off in flight to avoid the Redeads, which had indeed regenerated while they were fighting Ugly. Lydia concentrated on the hole in the ceiling and tried very hard not to look at them, but their hungry moans still made her tense up all the way to her bones.

Once up and through the ceiling, they found themselves back in that hallway that branched off from the main circle. Link, once he had made sure the ground beneath his feet was solid, pulled the little glass from his tunic pocket and looked through it down at the floor. Where there had been a floor before, the glass showed him that there was really no floor there at all, but a gaping hole.

Link smiled at their triumph. This is it, all right. The Lens that can lead the way through trickery and illusion. He gently tucked it back into his tunic and sighed. Too bad we didn't find it _before_ I found the Redead room.

Glancing nervously about, Lydia muttered, Can we please leave now? We have the Lens of Truth. Let get out of this hell hole and back to our time.

Yeah, none of us are really enjoying this, Gordon agreed. Let's get outta here.

The group made their way out of the branch and back into the main circle, then broke into a slow run, all eager to get back up into the sunlight again. No one was really going to relax until they were out of this main circle hallway. It was a long run, with no other branches other than the one they had left behind, not until the very end. There was nowhere to go if something came up.

Link was having that very thought when he once again heard the beating of disproportioned wings, coming from behind them. He skidded to a stop and turned around, and saw the giant skull coming.

Oh great, he muttered, pulling his sword out. Nowhere to run this time.

Gordon stood close to him with his hands in spell firing position. The big, freaky-looking skull, which was as large as the hallway was tall, was dancing their way, and would be upon them in moments. They'd never outrun it.

Lydia, they noticed, was once again standing perfectly still. She was facing away from the skull, toward them. Her hair was hiding her eyes and her body shook. Was it fear again? No, it was anger.

First, the scary darkness at the beginning. Then the grinning skeleton, and the giant flaming bat-skull. Then Link fell through the floor. And the Redeads. Oh, the Redeads. And then having Ugly's bony hand clamp down on her arm. It was so cold, so disgusting, and so dead And now the bat-skull was trying to mess with her again, when all she wanted to do was leave.

The flying skull had just picked the final straw.

Link was about to yell at her to either get ready or move out of the way, when she suddenly screamed with fury and whirled around to face the skull.

_EVERYBODY STOP SCARING ME!!!!_ she shrieked at it with everything inside her. With a yell of the utmost fury, she threw her hands out. **_Astral BREAK!_**

White light exploded from her and propelled forward, expanding to fill the entire hallway, slamming into the skull. It didn't even know what hit it. When the spell finally faded, all that was left of the gangly skull was a pile of black ashes.

The girl breathed heavily, and then fell down to one knee. The two boys were knelt down on either side of her almost immediately.

_Somebody_ lost her temper, Gordon said in a teasing manner.

You okay? Link asked her.

Lydia slowly stood up, clinging to Link for extra support. Y-Yeah, I'll be fine. I just forgot how weak this ten-year-old body was with some of my spells.

Well, not for long. Let's get back to the Temple of Time. I've had enough of this place.

Okay, but if we were wrong and there's more than one of those things, Gordon gets it. I'm done. Not dealing with this anymore.

Gordon stood up proudly as they walked through the fake wall into the room with the little hole. No problem. I killed dozens of Redeads with one shot. I should be able to handle a bat-skull.

Lydia shouted back as she followed them through the small tunnel, just as before. _I_ could have done that.

Yeah, if you weren't such a chicken-heart.

You are _so_ dead, small fry. As soon as I get the chance, I'll turn your face inside out.

Link just kept quiet. He was rather amused. This was one of the first times he was actually an _observer_ to an argument with Lydia rather than a participant. He quickly decided that participating was far more fun.

No matter, though. They had succeeded in finding the Lens of Truth. Once they were back in the future Hyrule, their next stop would be the Shadow Temple. He started to have disturbing thoughts. This old well was supposed to be linked to the Shadow Temple, and being down here hadn't exactly been a picnic. What kind of nasty things did the Shadow Temple have in store for them?


	30. Chapter 27

Ack! Die, college! Die, die, DIE!!!

Hi, everyone! I'm back in business!

Yes, college IS my excuse for my long-going dormancy, but I have another one – WRITER'S BLOCK.

Die, writer's block!!

But luckily for us, I had a sudden inspiration yesterday, and have been writing constantly since then, and I believe I've produced quite a treat for you.

While this chapter is not as long or as action-packed as they usually are, it is very information heavy, and no doubt will answer a lot of questions that you've had since the very beginning of this adventure. I hope it gives you as much closure as it has given me.

In other news, my website, Zelda Infinite, has finally re-opened! If you're tired of reading this story at Fanfiction.net, you can also find it there! A nice little advantage to that is this – spell casting is in colored text! Whee!! It's just cooler that way. AND I have more control over the formatting, so the paragraphs are less likely to be butchered all over the place. Take my word for it - it's not _supposed_ to look this freaky. It really DOES have some organization to it. Evil Fanfiction.net! You foil my plans again!  
...Serously, it has REALLY butchered this chapter. It looks terrible.  
You're better off to just go to zelda-infinite.com. At least that way I have some control over how the final piece looks.  
The name it's under there is Goddess Rinoa. That's my name there. ^_^

As usual, I'd like to thank you for sticking around while college continued to kick my butt. But, check it out, summer starts next week!

YAY!!

Enjoy the chapter. May the Triforce be with you.

--Lydia—

*~*~*~*

Worlds Apart

**_Part II_**

By Goddess Rinoa/Miss Lydia 

****

Chapter 27 

The Master Sword sat peacefully in the Pedestal of Time, glimmering with a proud brilliance. It sat silently, but spoke volumes. It spoke about the times it had been through, and the times it would go through. The trials it had been through in the hands of the Hero, and the times it would go through in the hands of future heroes, all in the name of peace in Hyrule. It truly was a magnificent talisman, standing tall in the Pedestal as a symbol of all good in the world, awaiting the time when it would be taken up again to fight evil.

But the Sword would not sleep. It was restless. It had been less than a day since the Hero of Time had returned it to its proper place in the Pedestal. The magic within the blade did not feel satisfied with that the Hero had accomplished. The evils of Hyrule had not yet been completely vanquished. Why was the sword dormant once again after so little time?

When the voices of young children broke the majestic silence of the Temple of Time, and the young Hero appeared once again through the Door, the Master Sword was relieved. Hyrule still had hope of being freed from the evil. All the Hero had to do was once again withdrawl the magical blade from the Pedestal, and they would once again embark on their journey. The Sword waited impatiently for the Hero to approach

Anyone one else feeling some serious déjà vu? the young Lydia asked openly as she stood with the two boys just inside the Door of Time.

We _have_ done this once already, the even younger Gordon replied. The only difference is that Ganondorf isn't breathing down our necks this time.

Lydia nervously glanced over her shoulder, just to make sure her brother was right.

Link stared at the Master Sword. Light from the window above draped over the sword, causing it to shine magnificently. It truly was a breathtaking sight, as if he were laying eyes upon the sword for the very first time.

he said quietly. All we have to do is take the sword again, and we should be thrown back into the time seven years from now. That's what Zelda said. His voice was confident, but also somewhat unsure. The boy started to walk toward the Pedestal, but only got a few steps forward before Lydia grabbed hold of his arm and yanked him back.

Wait, wait, wait, she hissed in his ear. Don't you remember what happened last time we did this?? You pulled the sword out and got sent through time or got sealed or whatever, but something neutralized the Ocarina of Time's magic, and Gordon and I were thrown back home! Remember? You don't think that will happen _again_, do you?

Link's heart almost stopped at the realization. Was there really a strong possibility that it would happen again? He hadn't even thought about it.

Gordon's voice interrupted his thoughts. There are some things between age six and age thirteen that I wouldn't mind doing over again but it's _seven_ years I really wouldn't want to live through all that again.

Not just that, it'll screw everything up! Lydia yelled. Damn time travel!!

Wait, calm down, Link said, steadying the girl with his hands. Zelda saw that happen the first time through this. If she thought it would happen again, she would have sent me back into this time _alone_. But she didn't.

Good point, Gordon agreed.

Lydia sighed. I guess you're right. But hypothetically, let's say Zelda's wrong and there's no way for us to get back to the future time with you. We can either not pull the sword, and Gordon and I live out those seven years again here, _or we pull the sword, and Gordon and I live out those seven years again back home._

So what you're saying is that we have nothing to lose by trying.

Exactly. Let's just do it and hope for the best.

With that, the girl moved forward, pulling Link by his wrist. Gordon followed silently, his thoughts moving nonstop.

Link stopped in front of the Pedestal and swallowed hard. As he moved his hands toward the hilt of the Master Sword, each of the sorcerers took a strong grip on one of his arms. He paused and glanced over his left shoulder, taking a long look at Lydia's face. A part of him wanted to say goodbye, just in case the two really _were_ sent back home again. Lydia, knowing Link well enough by now to pratically read his mind, smiled at him and nodded.

With that, Link faced forward and took a firm grip on the Master Sword. With a loud shout, he heaved upward, and the blade slid easily from the Pedestal of Time. Wind rushed through the Temple of Time as blue light sailed up into the air from the borders of the platform, and the three huddled figures disappeared in a flash of magical energy.

The Master Sword smiled with satisfaction.

*~*~*~*

The hissing in his ears stopped and the light finally dimmed. All was quiet again. Link slowly opened his eyes.

He immediately recognized his adult hands gripping the Master Sword, protected by those thick gauntlets. His gaze, glued forward, caught sight of the rubble on the ground, the missing Temple walls, and the brown, dreary, post-Ganondorf sky. What really bothered him was the silence. Was he alone? Had Zelda been wrong? A large part of him was too afraid to turn around and see.

Suddenly, a familiar pair of thin arms wrapped themselves around Link's neck from behind and hugged him tightly, and a girl's voice squealed with glee. A deep, male voice laughed with excitement.

An absoultely emmense wave of relief passed through Link then, and he came about to return the adult Lydia's excited hug. Zelda had been right. Lydia and Gordon were still with him, and both were okay.

Gordon paused long enough to present his theory. The first time the Master Sword was awakened must have been significant somehow. Something to do with the circumstances present back then. How strange.

Lydia let go of the Hylian and jumped back. Who _cares_ about how? she shouted, spinning in a full circle on one foot. All that matters is that we're all here and everything's fine! She stretched her adult arms over her head as far as she could. Mmmm! MAN, this feels great!! Being a kid again was a real drag.

Her brother moved to stand right in front of her, and straightened his back as much as he could. What? You enjoy being shorter than me again? He then proceeded to laugh tauntingly at her until the girl's fist connected with his stomach.

Link was too busy admiring the Master Sword to pick on the sorceress. He watched it glimmer in his hand, despite the fact that there was no sunlight shining down on them. What a truly magnificent thing this sword was. With a respectful smile, he gracefully slid the sword into its sheath on his back.

Still got that Lens? Lydia asked, releasing her brother from a headlock.

Link reached into the front of his tunic and rummaged around in the inside pockets. His fingers brushed against the familiar piece of metal. He smiled and nodded at the girl, who smiled back.

Then everything's just peachy, she said cheerfully. Let's head back to Kakariko! I can't wait to show Zelda just how cool we are! Without waiting, she spun around and started decending the rock pile, singing We Are the Champions to herself. Gordon and Link paused long enough to shake each others' hands, then fell into step behind the girl.

As they left the Dragon Slave crater, Lydia fell back and let the boys lead, knowing that there was a pack of those nasty ReDeads in what remained of the market up ahead. She was hoping not to have to deal with those things directly. When they moved into the market, Link and Gordon ran forward without a word to dispatch the monsters. Obviously, they hadn't expected Lydia to participate in this battle and were content with taking care of it themselves. This was _fine with her. She was perfectly happy to sit down on the stone ground and watch. But instead of watching, she rested her chin in one of her hands and started to think, occasionally interrupting her thoughts long enough to use a small spell to deflect a rock blown loose by one of her brother's spells._

That scare back therethe possibility of being thrown back home like before and missing out on being with Link for another seven years It really got her thinking about the origin of the magic she dealt with every day. Not just the magic she and her brother were armed with, but the magic embedded in Hyrule itself. More specifically, the connection between them. How were they related? Where did their magic come from? It popped up out of seemingly nowhere when Link played the Ocarina of Time when they had first met. It seemed too ridiculous to be true. I mean, her parents hadn't shown any signs of magical talent. Not only that, but NO one back in their world could manipulate magic, let alone to this magnitude. Just one spell could destroy half a mile of land. But, at the same timethe magic didn't seem to be Hyrulean either. With the exception of that spellbook Zelda had given them at the start of their adventure, there was no connection between their type of magic and regular Hyrulean magic.

What was the deal??

The girl was startled out of her thoughts by a set of knuckles knocking on the top of her head. Her brother was standing over her, looking at her through the small lenses of his glasses. The place is clear. We need to go through before they come back.

Without a word, Lydia stood up and followed her brother toward where Link was waiting, at the south entrance of the Market. When all three of them were walking together, she shared her thoughts about the magic with them. Link, having never really questioned their magic before, hummed to himself as he thought about the possibilities. Gordon immediately began throwing out theories of his own, none of which made any logical sense. They talked about it so long that they forgot to take flight once clear of Ganondorf's anti-magic seal in the air, and ended up walking all the way to Kakariko. The sun had almost completely set by the time they got to the house where they had left Zelda and Malon, and they weren't any closer to knowing the truth about the magic the two from Earth were armed with.

As they opened the door to the house and saw Zelda stand up to meet them, they all silently agreed to worry about the more pressing events at hand for now.

Did you find anything? Zelda asked worriedly.

Link smiled, reached into his tunic, and pulled out the Lens of Truth. The light from the lamps in the corners danced from the glass as Link showed it to the princess. I believe this is what we were looking for.

The princess of Hyrule then lost all royal composure and jumped up and down excitedly as Lydia so often did. I knew it! I knew it! she shouted energetically. I knew the Temple of Time wouldn't fall so easily! We still have hope after all! She stopped suddenly and her eyes widened as she realized how she was acting. She straightened her dress and stood with a straight back as a princess should, and blushed all the way to her ears. I-I mean Well done, all of you. You should wait until tomorrow to venture to the Shadow Temple. I believe you have earned a full night's rest after today's success.

Malon smiled and gave the three a thumbs-up.

Whoo, I'm all for that, Lydia sighed, stretching her tired arms and shoulders. G, why don't you be a man and escort the princess and Malon back to the ranch? I'm going to bed.

Gordon replied.

Malon moved to open the door. I'll get the horses ready, she said as she slipped outside.

As Lydia yanked her duffel bag out from under the bed, she said to Link, Hey, why don't you go with them?

Link asked before really thinking about it.

The sorceress raised her eyebrow at him. Because I need to change my clothes. I like you just fine, but you're not allowed to see me in my underwear. Move along now, Dodongo-Buster.

Too embarrassed to even defend himself against that, Link quickly shuffled from the room without a word and disappeared outside, trying in vain to hide how red his face was. Gordon simply laughed and followed.

Zelda, surpressing her laughter as she tried to act princess-like, started to follow them outside when Lydia's voice stopped her.

The princess stopped and looked at the sorceress. 

The girl smiled warmly. Don't you worry about the Shadow Temple. The boys and I will take care of it, and we'll even save Impa while we're at it. You just concentrate on keeping yourself safe.

Zelda smiled back and nodded. Thank you so much. With that, she disappeared outside, closing the door behind her.

Finally alone, Lydia dropped her forehead and rested it on the bed with a heavy, exhausted sigh. _What a day_, she thought as she pulled her pajamas out of the bag. They'd had tough days before, but they never before had faced an entire day of the Undead. Maybe the two boys weren't as phased by that as she was, but As she slipped out of her clothes, she reminded herself that tomorrow would probably be an Undead day, too. The Shadow Temple was sure to be full of them.

She tried not to think about is as the put out the lamps and slipped into the bed. Whatever came at them the next day, they'd just take care of it, like they always do. Nothing to worry about.

_Famous last words_, she thought to herself as she started to drift off. As she fell asleep, the Sorcerer's Rune fell out from inside her shirt and lay peacefully on the sheets.

*~*~*~*

It was dark and quiet in this place. But the dark retreated quickly and Lydia found herself in the desert. Link was in front of her, and Gordon off to her side. She blew Gordon away with a spell and he rolled along the ground, failing to get up again. She drew her sword from thin air and advanced on Link, who pulled out his own sword to defend himself.

Lydia had been through this enough times by now to know that she was dreaming again. She knew it wasn't really happening, but all the same, wished desperately for it to end. She closed her eyes to shut out the horrible image of killing Link with her own hands, but even that didn't prevent her from watching again. Once he hit the ground and the darkness came again, she began to fall into the abyss, and the voice spoke the prophecy.

Allies will fall, evil will rise. Even when all seems lost, the last resort will fail. Only the power of all will defeat the evil. Ultimate power will restore the land.

Normally, the dream would end there. But Lydia was tired. She was tired of watching this horror over and over again. She was tired of this stupid ambiguous voice that had been invading her dreams since before she even met Link. With the frustration of many years of enduring this all piled up into her voice, she shouted at the darkness.

All right, THAT'S IT!! I want some damned answers _NOW_!! I'm sick of this!! You've been haunting me for years!! You at least owe me answers!!

To her surprise, the sensation of falling slowed and eventually stopped. Suddenly, she felt a firm ground beneath her feet. As the girl regained her balance, the voice came again.

What is it you wish to know?

Lydia couldn't believe it. She didn't think screaming at nothing would actually _work!_ Amazing. The voice wasn't a product of her over-active imagination She really _was being haunted by some kind of spirit speaking to her through her dreams. Now that her brain wasn't moving so fast, Lydia noticed for the first time that the voice was vaguely female. She didn't understand why she had never attached a gender to it before. _

The girl swallowed hard and thought even harder. F-first of all, thanks for taking a moment to speak to me. Secondly Who are you?

I am Din, the Hyrulean Goddess of Power.

Lydia choked with surprise. No kidding?! THE Din? Wow! Oh my god, wait until I tell Link! Um, may I ask why the Goddess of Power is talking to me? No, wait I have a more important question first. The girl sucked in a breath, then dropped the bomb. Why are we here? My brother and myself? Why do we have such powerful magic that seemingly came from nowhere?__

_I suppose you are owed some explaination, young sorceress. You have many questions, and I will be able to answer most of them simply by telling you a story of a time past. Are you ready to learn of your past?_

Lydia replied, holding nothing back. I want to know everything.

The Goddess paused for a moment, as if gathering her thoughts, unsure of where to begin.

_In a time not too far passed, Hyrule was torn apart by war, before the King united the kingdom. Races fought against each other. Many perished in the battles. Those were truly dark times. Most Hyruleans that were not fighting in the war hid in the shadows, concerned for their own lives. But there were a few that set out on their own to try to end the war. A select group of young people began researching dark arts long, long lost to Hyrule. They tried to learn how to manipulate these ancient forces in hopes of ending the brutal war._

_Yes. These ancient forces are what you call magic. But these arts had been lost to Hyrule for centuries, so not many had the kind of talent required to master its manipulation. Out of the entire group of those researching this magic, only two managed to master it to the point of being able to use it at will, without a second thought. In normal circumstances, even they wouldn't have been able to master this ancient art. It is believed that their talent was summoned completely for one sole reason – there was a new and growing threat to Hyrule, far more dangerous than the possible damage done by war._

Two sorcerers mastered this magic? That's a convienient number. I think I see where this is going.

_Oh, several of these young people mastered the magic. But only two of them mastered it to the point of being able to use it without consulting a spellbook every day. They had such exceptional control over these forces that they could call upon it with a simple gesture or chant, and could summon spells far more powerful and potent than the others could ever hope to. They were a brother-sister pair, which explains the sharing of talent between them. Their names were Riku and Maya. Maya was the stronger of the two in the ways of magic. Riku was younger, but wiser than his sister._

This is sounding way too familiar. It's beginning to get scary. Before we go on What was that greater threat than the war'?

_Unfortunately, the war inspired an evil man to pursue his passions of domination, and he began studying more modern Hyrulean magics, far different from what had been mastered by these two sorcerers. He was the young leader of the Gerudo race, barely of age. His name was Ganondorf Dragmire._

Lydia exclaimed. That same creep we've been fighting against all this time?! Wow. I can't imagine he was that old back then That means he's been trying to take over Hyrule ever since he was about Link's age. Oh, I-I'm sorry! Please, continue.

_The group of sorcerers saw Ganondorf as a threat to the outcome of the war. Howeveronly the two that were truly one with their magical ability saw Ganondorf's TRUE threat to Hyrule. He wouldn't just be something as simple as a leader in this war. His evil ambitions would someday threaten to destroy Hyrule completely. However, they could not convince the rest of their group to see this serious threat, so these two sorcerers set out to the West on their own, determined to destroy this threat before it grew. But because of the Gerudo man's own magical ability, he sensed them coming, and was ready. He caught the two sorcerers off guard. Despite their best efforts, they were both killed at the hands of Ganondorf._

Lydia swallowed hard. Ganondorf, even at that young age, had managed to kill off two people that had complete mastery of complicated, ancient magic. That was quite intimidating. Time to distract herself. So, what does that have to do with me and my brother? AlthoughI don't think I even have to ask

_When mortals die, their souls are sometimes reborn in new bodies with no knowledge or memory of their prior lives. In your world, I believe it is called reincarnation'. It is not uncommon for these souls to sometimes get lost and manage to cross dimensional barriers and leave Hyrule. These two sorcerers easily crossed the dimensions because of the sheer power they held, and even managed to find new bodies for themselves right away. The wiser of the two sorcerers, Riku, was reborn into your brother's body. And you hold the soul of Maya – the more powerful of the two._

I knew it. I knew it. You're saying that the kid and I are the reincarnations of those ancient Hyrulean sorcerers. I guess it's no coincidence that Gordon and I were born into the same family. Before we move on, may I ask a related question? Why did Ganondorf kill these two people right off the bat? I mean, even for him, that's rather odd. He didn't even _know_ them and he just up and killed them.

_Ganondorf knew the legend of the Triforce. One of his ambitions was to someday acquire it. Not just anyone can receive the sacred relic. It must be a person that either passionately believes in the force of power, wisdom, or courage or in extremely rare cases, has all three forces balanced in their heart_.

Right! That's that old Sheikah legend! When Ganondorf got the Triforce, he only got the Power piece because that's what he believed in the most.

_It's difficult to know the legend of the Triforce without knowing of that Sheikah legend of which you speak. Ganondorf believed he could acquire the full Triforce, but resolved to destroy any other potential receivers just in case the Triforce split when he finally did find it. These two sorcerers came, and Ganondorf felt threatened by them because they had the potential to hold pieces of the Triforce, should it ever break. There is a reason that Princess Zelda was able to pass on the Triforce of Wisdom to your brother at that time. The sorcerer's soul that resides within him belonged to a very wise person, who no doubt would have received the Triforce of Wisdom. Because of this, your brother was able to hold the Trifoce of Wisdom. Back in those times, Riku would have been first in line to receive it. But once Princess Zelda was born, he would have fallen into second place, had he been alive. Your brother was the runner-up, if you will._

So the kid was meant to receive the Triforce of Wisdom before he was even born. What about the Triforce of Courage?

_In those times of war, there was no one very suitable to hold the Triforce of Courage. Most were more concerned with surviving the war than in having the courage to end it. If the Triforce had split at that time, the Courage piece would have gone to who was MOST suitable, but could have been easily lost by that person, because their belief in courage wouldn't have been strong enough to keep a firm hold on it. Around the time when the two sorcerers were killed by Ganondorf, a baby boy was born into the servant house of the Hyrule Royal Family. Soon after his birth, the boy's father was killed in battle, and his mother was mortally wounded while escaping the fires of war with her young son. She made it to the Deku Tree in the East, and entrusted him with the boy's care. This young boy had destiny engraved in his soul, and would one day grow up to be a Hero that would strike down the Evil King Ganondorf._

Link. That's where he comes into all this. Link was born to carry the Triforce of Courage.

_I have one more thing to comment on when it comes to the sacred Triforce. Have you noticed that the Evil King has held a grudge against you as of late? When you fought his phantom in the Forest Temple, all attacks were directed at you. Ganondorf wanted you dead. He has begun to see you as a threatjust as he did those two sorcerers._

Are you saying what I think you're saying?

_There is a reason I am speaking to you, rather than Farore or Nayru. The sorcerer's soul that your body houses was very powerful indeed. Her power exceeded even all others. She had even more talent than Ganondorf himself when it came to the art of magic. Maya was very powerful. Today, Ganondorf has begun to see you as the greatest threat because, like your brother was second-in-line for the Triforce of Wisdom, you are next to receive the Triforce of Power. I have known this since you were born, and have been watching you all your life, much as Nayru has watched the young boy, and Farore has watched the Hero of Time._

Lydia sank down to the invisible floor and tried to regain her bearings. She had the potential to hold the Triforce of Power?!

_I tell you this as a warning. I do not believe Ganondorf realizes quite yet why you threaten him so much, but he will realize in time, no doubt, who you really are. You must watch yourself. He will kill you if he gets the chance._

The girl was silent for several long moments. Din waited patiently, knowing well that this was probably a lot of information for a mortal to handle all at once.

Finally, Lydia swallowed and spoke quietly, standing up again. wow. I didn't expect that one. She thought hard. There was more she had to ask, and this was her chance. Best not to waste it. I have another question Gordon and I indeed had no knowledge of our previous lives, nor any sense of the magical ability within us. But when Link played the Ocarina of Time for us, everything about the magic came awake at once. And when we got to Hyrule, the library in the castle happened to have a spellbook that was jam-packed with these ancient spells. What can you tell me about that?

_Everything, really. While the two sorcerers were studying magic, their unusual talent was recognized by the Royal Family. During the last years of their lives, they studied magical items. They worked with the Royal Family's magic users and special craftsmen in creating a magical item that would from then on be treasured by the Royal Family and would be a special key to Hyrule. That treasure created was the Ocarina of Time._

I get it. The Ocarina of Time has some of this ancient magic fused into it. When Link played for us, the magic in the Ocarina awakened the dormant magic within us That's why it can transport the player across the dimensions It's also what's keeping us in Hyrule

_Maya studied even further, and was able to create a magical item of her own – a stone that could amplify the magical energy of its user. You now wear that item around your neck – it's no coincidence that you have it._

The Sorcerer's Rune?

_The two sorcerers were so familiar with their magic that they worked together to scribe everything they knew into a large book, so the magic could be studied by future generations. I believe you also have posession of that book. It's truly a miracle that it survived the war long enough to land in the hands of its creators once again._

That explains why we were able to teach Link a couple simple spells all those years ago This magic can be taught, but it can't be _mastered without real magical talent. So all this business of being reincarnated Hyrulean sorcerers Is that why we're here?_

_Normally, a soul reborn into a different world have no connection to their previous world in any way. But it's different with you two. Fighting Ganondorf has been engraved into your destiny, much as it is with the Hero. It's no coincidence that you two fight together with him._

I see

_Have all your questions been answered? I'm running short of time. Morning draws near. I must admit I hadn't planned on explaining all this to you when I came to you tonight. Otherwise, I would have come to you earlier._

Oh! Y-Yes, I think so. Everything makes so much more sense now I can't believe all this. Wait, no! That prophecy you've been throwing at me repeatedly! This horrible nightmare I keep having! What does it mean?!

_I can easily tell you of the past. I cannot easily tell you of the future. You can always change your future. Whatever the future brings, just remember that I will always be watching you, and will aide you in whatever way I can. You must save Hyrule! Don't ever forget who you are!_

Before Lydia could protest any further, something in front of her glowed brightly. She closed her eyes and shielded them from this light that seemed to be coming from her own chest. She felt a strange power pass through her, energizing her body. When the light finally dimmed, she slowly opened her eyes, finding nothing at first but the darkness she'd been in since the beginning of this dream. But then she noticed something glimmering below her eye level. She looked down at the Sorcerer's Rune, which was hanging from the chain around her neck.

Ever since she had first stolen this Rune from Ganondorf (or stolen it _back_, it now seemed), it had always been a dull red stone. But Din had changed the Rune's shape. Instead of a red rune, it was now a shining, golden pendant in the shape of the Triforce.

Before the girl could even react, everything around her went white, and she began to feel lightheaded. The world around her disappeared, and all was once again quiet.

_Don't ever forget who you are!_

*~*~*~*

With a gasp, Lydia sat straight up in bed, tightly clutching the sheets. She was once again sitting in darkness, but this time, her eyes adjusted to it quickly. She glanced around. She was back in the house, in her bed. To either side of her, Link and Gordon were curled up under their covers, sound asleep, unaware of what had just happened.

What had just happened Did it really happen?, Lydia wondered. Had the goddess Din been the one that had been haunting her in her sleep? The whole idea seemed crazy, but it all made sense at the same time. The dream was so vivid. How could it not have really happened?

With a sigh, Lydia put a hand to her chest and tried to regain her breath. It was then, when her palm brushed the Sorcerer's Rune, that she suddenly remembered. She quickly took the Rune in her hands and looked down at it.

It was a Triforce pendant. Even in the lack of light in the room, it seemed to glow with unearthly brilliance. It _had_ happened.

Lydia smiled with satisfaction and tucked the Rune back into her shirt, and lay down on the pillow. It was all so amazing. Everything finally made sense. After years of not knowing the trutheverything made sense.

That prophecy was still something to worry about, though Din had said something about being able to change the future. Was that horrible scene really in her future? Was she really a danger to Link's life?! The thought of it terrified her all over again. But right away she remembered Din's words. You can always change your future. That was the only hope Lydia had to hold on to, and she resolved to do everything she could to change that future.

At least she finally knew the truth.

Feeling more complete than she had in a long time, she drifted back into a more peaceful sleep and waited for morning.

*~*~*~*

When morning came, it found the girl and two boys seated at their table in the corner of the Kakariko Tavern. It was still early, only about 8:00, too early for them to be up and about, usually. But Lydia'd had a really hard time sleeping and had gotten up out of bed around sunrise, and had woken the other two with her shufflings around the little house.

She had tried to keep it quiet at firstthe stuff she now knew. She didn't want to bombard the boys with it before they'd even had breakfast. But Link's sharp eyes foiled that plan when they saw the transformed Sorcerer's Rune hanging from her neck. With the cat out of the bag, Lydia took them into the Tavern, and told them everything. It took the span of the entire breakfast to tell them every detail she could remember of what the Goddess Din had told her. Link's mouth had been open during most of the story, as if unable to accept the fact that Din herself had spoken to the sorceress. Gordon was always slightly leaned forward, eager eyes wide open.

And that is about the jist of things, Lydia finished, jabbing at the last of her breakfast with her fork. We finally know what's up, so let's see if we can work with it when we finally fight the man Ganondorf himself.

was all Gordon could manage to say at the moment.

So, if Ganondorf were to lose the Triforce of Power, Link asked, also poking at his food, you'd be the one to get it?

Pretty much, she replied. We'd have a full Triforce. I think our goal is clear, guys. We have to get it from him.

We also have to make sure Ganondorf doesn't get his hands on you, Link breathed with a very worried tone.

I wonder how this will impact our adventure? Gordon wondered aloud.

His sister almost laughed at him. she said. It won't impact a damn thing. All that's happened is that an objective has been added. Now, we don't only defeat Ganondorfwe have to retrieve the Triforce of Power from him. If we can do that, we can repair the damage he's already done and will do in the near future. Think about it – this stuff we know Ganondorf does NOT know yet. He doesn't know who the kid and I really are or why he sees me as such a threat. We can work with that! Use it to our advantage.

They all sat silently for several moments, all pondering this heap of new information and answered questions. It was so much to absorb all at oncebut it was also so wonderful. Their chances at saving Hyrule had jumped greatly, simply because they knew the truth and could work with it. Needless to say, all three of them were feeling pretty confident.

Gordon asked, pointing at Lydia. What did Din do to your rune?

Lydia glanced down at it. You know what? I don't know. I thought I felt something pass through me when she did it, but it could have been my imagination. Maybe it's just a reminder of who we are, so we never forget. She kept emphazising how we must never forget who we are.

I wonder if Zelda knew all this I mean, she entrusted the Triforce of Wisdom to me without a second thought. Could it have been because she knew who I was? Did she know about Maya and Riku?

We'll ask her another time, Link said, slowly standing up from the table. He reached into his tunic and put two red rupees down next to his plate. We have to crush that Shadow Spirit. It's more important right now.

Lydia stood up as well. Yeah, we'll meet Zelda again soon, no doubt. She paused, glancing at Link. Where's the temple? You've been there already, right?

Right. It's in the far east of the graveyard.

It won't require a visit with our good friend Dampé, will it?

Only if you want to.

I _don't_. And with that, she pushed her chair in and headed for the broken wall. The plump bartender smiled at her from behind his mustache and waved goodbye to them as they left. 

The clouds over Kakariko were brown and dreary on this day. Thunder rolled above them, but no rain came. The clouds only got thicker as they approached the graveyard. It was as if they were trying to scare people off. Don't come in here, the clouds warned. It's scary in here.

These three were too experienced by now to fall for that, and walked into the graveyard without hesitation.

The moment they were inside the graveyard, rain started to fall. It wasn't overly heavy, but just enough to uncomfortably dampen their clothes and get Lydia's complaints started. The clouds above them were downright black, complete with thunder and some lightning. Every time the lighting danced in them, the Sorcerer's Rune that Lydia wore managed to bounce that light around a bit and glow for just a moment.

Link led them past all the gravestones and stopped at the back wall. There was a hole there. Lydia asked if that's where they'd find the temple. Link explained that this was where he learned the Sun's Song back before the two sorcerers had come to Hyrule. He pointed above them. On the top of this back wall was a little fence. The entrance to the Shadow Temple was just above them, he explained.

The sorcerers flew up and over the fence, pulling the Hylian along with them. Just up there was a Triforce platform, much like the ones in Death Mountain Crater, the Sacred Meadow, and Lake Hylia. Behind it was a cave entrance, with the ground sloping downward just inside. The two boys went on inside without slowing down, and Lydia followed after a nervous glance at the surroundings.

When the ground leveled off, they were in a room with a raised platform in the middle, and a closed door on the opposite side. The room was absoutely littered with torches. They weren't arranged in any particular pattern – they were just there for the sake of being there.

Link touched his chin in thought. Hmm, that's odd. I thought we already opened this once?

Gordon laughed. No wonder it's raining so hard outside. The shadow spirit is all mad at us for not closing the door behind us when we left last time and letting in all that cold air. He traced his steps back out of the room, picking up Lydia on the way. We can let Link take care of this.

The girl stood with him just outside the room, and watched Link move to the center of the room and climb up on the platform. After a short pause, he put both of his hands to his right side, a pose very similar to the sorcerers' spell-firing position. He swung his right arm up in a wide arc and struck the floor in front of him with a loud shout, and released the power of Din's fire. A dome of fire expanded to fill the entire room, lighting each one of the torches along the way. When the spell finally dimmed, the door at the opposite end of the room shook with effort and began to heave upward.

Lydia laughed with glee and threw her right fist into the air. All right! Horray for Din!

Her brother looked at her with raised eyebrows.

She stopped cheering and looked back at him, but kept her fist high in the air. What? Din's awesome.

Link, proud of himself, dusted his hands and turned to face them. Let's go! Now that we have the Lens of Truth, we can finally make some progress!

Let's get this overwith then! Lydia shouted with enthusiasm. Into the Shadow Temple!

The three quickly disappeared through the doorway and into the darkness ahead. Soon after they were far inside, the door creaked again and lowered itself back into its original position. The sound of it hitting the ground echoed throughout the room and the torches went out. All was as it was.

The shadow spirit waited eagerly to meet them. It had a bone to pick. 


	31. Chapter 28

This is one of the most emotional, important chapters I've written in quite a while, and you'll see why. Again, I apologize for any formatting goof-ups and/or HTML weirdness. FanFiction.net hates me with a passion. I'm never sure how the chapter will behave. For nicer formating and coloring text where it's needed, visit www.zelda-infinite.com. Trust me, it's just better.  
  
Enjoy, everyone! Believe me, you've been waiting for this one! As always, leave feedback! I _love_ reading it! And, hey, leave e-mails if you can! Not being able to reply to reviews drives me insane!!  
  
~Lydia~

*~*~*~*

Worlds Apart  
Part II  
By Miss Lydia/Goddess Rinoa

Chapter 28 

"I hate it already," Lydia declared.  
  
The sorceress glanced around at her surroundings. They hadn't gone too far into the Shadow Temple yet, but the hallway the girl found herself in was very telltale. The walls were a dull, dark grey, and occasionally dripped water down onto the floor, sending the sound echoing all around them. The floor was exactly the same color. The air hanging around them was heavy with the feeling of doom and gloom.  
  
Somewhere in the distance, the trio could hear sounds hanging in space, Link more so than the other two. It sounded somewhat like a choir of Redeads in the middle of a chorus. A long, continuous, sad chorus. Whether the sound was coming from their imaginations or from something real in this temple, they did not know. Nevertheless, it succeeded in intimidating them.  
  
"Maann... I _really_ don't like this..." Lydia continued as the group turned a corner. "This place absolutely _reeks_ of the Undead. This temple is freaking me out already."  
  
As she continued to complain, a dead-end suddenly came into sight. The wall in front of them was more like a large picture than a wall. It was a wide, grey, scary-looking face. The eyes were black and hollowed out, like that of an old skull. Its mouth was open in such a way that it looked like it wanted to laugh and scream and the same time.  
  
"Oh, fabulous," the girl groaned. "I _love_ the shadow spirit's choice of decor..."  
  
"This is where we stopped before," Link told her, bringing the group to a stop. "That voice told us we needed the 'eye of truth' to continue." He reached into his tunic front and fumbled around for the glass. "Let's see what happens."  
  
"Perhaps looking through it...?" Gordon suggested.  
  
Link did so without hesitation. He lifted the Lens to his right eye and peered through it. Inside the borders of the glass, the wall with the freaky face on it disappeared completely.  
  
"A fake wall, just like in the well," he announced.  
  
Lydia scoffed. "...A fake wall? That's _it?_"  
  
"I have to agree," Gordon breathed loudly. "Anyone could just walk up to that wall, put their hand on it, and realize that there's no wall there at all. What would stop them from continuing forward without the Lens?"  
  
Link craned his neck down a little bit and glanced at the floor through the Lens. His breath caught in his throat and he stiffened up.  
  
"..._That's_ why. Nobody move."  
  
"W-What? What is it?" the sorceress asked him, the worry in her voice suddenly skyrocketing.  
  
The Hylian swallowed hard. "The floor..._right_...in front of us... It's an illusion. ...Everyone... slowly take a couple steps backward... so no one falls in..."  
  
"Oh, geez," Lydia whispered, taking two slow, careful steps backward. "Not cool, not cool..."  
  
The two boys carefully followed her lead. "I see," Gordon said. "If you don't have the Lens, you can't see that bottomless hole there, and you walk right in."  
  
"We almost did," Link added, swallowing again. "Our toes were hanging over the side."  
  
"Damn it!" Lydia shouted angrily. "If this place's _entrance_ is like this... What's the rest of it gonna be like?"  
  
"Whatever it is, we'll get past it. ...Right now let's just worry about getting over this hole."  
  
Gordon nodded and took a firm hold on Link's arm. "**Levitation!**" he shouted, and lifted off the ground. With the Hylian in tow, he sailed over where the hole supposedly was, and they disappeared through the wall with the face.  
  
Lydia stayed rooted on the spot, waiting to see what they would find before following. After a few seconds, Link's head and shoulders appeared through the wall and he smiled at her.  
  
"Come on through," he said. "There's a solid floor in here. ...Be careful of that hole." With that, he pulled back through the wall and disappeared.  
  
The girl sighed with the relief of getting a break. At least there was a floor to walk on. That was an improvement. "**Levitation!**"  
  
When she flew through the wall and landed next to the boys, she found herself in a large room. It was fairly empty, with the exception of the large sculpture in the middle. It was a large statue of some kind of bird, and it sat upon a slightly raised platform that was wide enough to cover half of the floor in this room. The walls were as plain and gloomy as that hallway had been, and more of those creepy-face pictures were arranged on them. Across the way, on the far, far wall, was a door that was closed off by iron bars.  
  
Link had his eyes glued to that door. "Looks like there's only one way to go. ...Would one of you be able to melt those bars?"  
  
"Hah!" Lydia laughed. "With our eyes closed. That's child's play."  
  
As they walked through the room, Gordon looked around nervously. "I dunno... I don't like this... There's something wrong with this picture."  
  
"What do you mean?" his sister asked as the group stepped up onto the platform that held the bird statue.  
  
"Not sure, but something's weird."  
  
Link suddenly stopped moving and stiffened, as he always did when something threatening came around. His hair stood right up on end and his leg muscles tightened, prepared to move quickly if necessary. He slipped the Lens of Truth safely into his tunic front and took a firm grip on the hilt of the Master Sword.   
  
"Yeah," the Hylian finally said, barely loud enough to hear. "Something's wrong."  
  
"...Damn this place..." Lydia whispered harshly, positioning her hands in a spell-firing position.  
  
What set Link's senses off showed itself immediately. It wasn't what they expected, though. It wasn't some kind of regular monster or a herd of Redeads or something. It was a voice. A deep, raspy voice, cackling loudly at them, as if absolutely blown away by the fact that they had walked right into its trap.   
  
The voice was so intimidating that it sent shivers up all three spines, and they looked around the room frantically, looking for the source of the arrogant laughter.  
  
_How kind of you to step into my domain! Foolish, but kind._  
  
It was the shadow spirit. They all knew it immediately. How could it be anything else?  
  
"Damn," Lydia said loudly. "You wasted no time, did you?"  
  
The spirit laughed again, as if _wildly_ entertained by the girl's words. _Why would I wait? This is just too good! I finally break out of that stupid underground cavern, and before I even get the chance to regain my bearings, I'm attacked! Attacked, right off! Those little attacks of yours **hurt**, you know. How inconsiderate and barbaric of you to attack me._  
  
It paused long enough to laugh again. _I swore I'd get revenge, but I didn't know you'd come to **me**! That's just perfect!_  
  
"Okay, so you're pissed!" Lydia shouted back at it. "We know. Do we gotta chat about it all day? Come out here and face us like a man! ...Or a..shadow thing.... Whatever the hell you are, show yourself!"  
  
The spirit once again let loose in a fit of cackling laughter. _Ooooh, I've got something different planned, which will be very entertaining for me to watch, I'm sure. Now please, make yourselves comfortable in my domain. I'll go make some tea. In the meantime--_ The voice broke off into a laugh, which made it obvious the spirit was enjoying some kind of private joke. _In the meantime, please, help yourselves to as much **suffering** as you can handle!!_  
  
Before any of them could react, the platform they were standing on suddenly fell away. Link and the two sorcerers plummeted down into the darkness, followed by the cackling laughter of the shadow spirit, who was quite proud of itself.  
  
_This will be quite entertaining... Let's see how you handle what I do to people that mess with me..._  


*~*~*~* 

Gordon slowly and painfully pulled himself up off the cold, hard floor. He shook his head, trying to knock away the stars that were dancing in front of his eyes.  
  
_What happened?_, he thought. _Where am I?_  
  
When he finally pulled himself to his feet, he realized that he was alone. Link and Lydia were nowhere in sight. ...In fact, _nothing_ was in sight. He was surrounded by total darkness, total silence.  
  
As nervousness crept up on him, he heard a girl's voice laugh happily somewhere behind him. The sorcerer spun around. A little ways in front of him, Lydia was standing there. Link was there, too. They were laughing together, as if sharing a joke that he wasn't in on.  
  
Gordon sighed with relief. "Hey, there you guys are!" he shouted. "You okay? Where are we?"  
  
But they didn't respond. It was as if they hadn't heard him. He started to walk toward them, but was shocked to see that none of his steps took him any closer to where they stood. He picked up the speed and broke into a run, but he couldn't get any closer to them. They continued to stay out of reach.  
  
Lydia smiled warmly at Link, and took his hand in hers. As they continued to laugh, they turned and started to walk away from Gordon.  
  
"H-Hey! Wait!" the boy shouted. He stopped in his tracks, momentarily in shock. His voice just then... It was different. It was young and high-pitched. Gordon bit his lip nervously and looked down at himself. He was six years old again. As panic started to well up within his body, he continued to run after his sister and the Hylian. He ran as fast as his little legs would take him, but they continued to get farther and farther away from him.  
  
"Please! Don't leave me behind!"  
  
Up ahead, dark mist swirled around them. Slowly, with red glowing eyes, Ganondorf rose out that mist, just behind them. They didn't seem to notice.  
  
Gordon tried to call out to them, but his child's voice just wouldn't be heard. One of his feet hit the floor wrong, and the little boy fell on his face. He looked up frantically just in time to watch as Ganondorf wrapped the two with the dark mist. And then, all three of them were gone.  
  
Defeated, the little sorcerer lowered his face back to the floor and cried like a lost child.  
  
----  
  
"_Owww_..." Lydia moaned as she sat up. "What happened? ...Damn arrogant spirit... I'll show it a thing or two." She pulled herself up into a sitting position and looked around her. Complete darkness surrounded her. A pang of panic hit her stomach when she realized she was alone. The boys were nowhere to be found.  
  
"G-Guys?" she called out.  
  
No one answered. At first, she was greeted only by the silence. But as she started to stand up completely, she heard a familiar moaning all around her. It sent a shiver down every single nerve ending in her body and she froze in horror. Redeads. In front of her. To her side. Behind her.  
  
She was surrounded by the monster she feared most.  
  
"..._Uh oh_..." she breathed in fear.  
  
Whereever she was, these Redeads were here to kill her off, for certain. Absolutely trembling with fright, she called up every shred of willpower she could find within herself and directed it down into her right hand, where she was conjuring up a spell.  
  
"Stay away from me!" she shrieked, throwing her hand toward the Redeads in front of her. "**Fire-Ball!!**"  
  
Nothing happened. Lydia stared at her extended spell hand in shock. Nothing had come from it. There was supposed to be an eight-foot-wide ball of flame making burnt cinders out of those Redeads right then, but there was nothing.  
  
Starting to panic, she tried again. "**Fire-Ball!!**"  
  
Nothing.  
  
"What the _hell?!_" she cried aloud as her throat burned and her eyes threatened to drop tears.  
  
Just then, something grabbed her from behind and wrapped its arms around her. Those arms were cold, flaky...dead.  
  
That was it. The sorceress lost all self control and started to completely panic. She flailed around helplessly, trying to shake the monster from her back, all the while shrieking and crying at the same time. She could feel its cold breath on her neck as it opened its mouth and prepared to start chewing on her flesh.  
  
Suddenly, she heard Link's battle cry from behind her. She felt the wind against her back as the blade of the Master Sword cut the monster away from her. It fell off to her left side and disintigrated on the spot. The rest of the Redeads, once their comrade had been destroyed, backed off and faded into the darkness.  
  
Gasping for breath, muscles weak, Lydia slowly turned around. Link sighed loudly and gracefully returned the Master Sword to its sheath. The look on his face was a mix of frustration and...annoyance.  
  
Lydia wiped the tears from her eyes, overcome with relief and gratitude. "As always, thanks for the rescue," she managed to choke out.  
  
"Tch," Link grumbled. "Like you deserve it."  
  
The girl wasn't sure she heard that right. "...Huh?"  
  
"You're perfectly capable of taking care of yourself," the boy continued, looking up at her with unusually critical eyes. "You know it. I know it. So why do I _always_ have to bail you out of trouble?"  
  
_My God, he's serious,_ Lydia thought. "...I...I..."  
  
"You've been a burden to me ever since you came to Hyrule. Always in the way. You throw spells recklessly, you're conceited, hot-headed, and the complaints _never_ stop. If you're not whining about something, you die."  
  
Lydia's hands trembled and tears streamed down her face unchecked. Had he always felt this way? Did he _hate_ her?? As her heart started to shatter, she managed to mutter, "Link...I..."  
  
Link raised his hand to stop her from speaking, then turned around coldly and started to walk away. "Why don't you just go home? I can take care of the rest. Goodness knows I can sure perform better when you're not in my way all the time..."  
  
From that point on, he was too far away to hear clearly. Only undistinguishable mumblings could be heard until he had completely faded into the darkness.  
  
The sorceress fell to her knees and cried harder than she had ever cried before in her entire life.  
  
----  
  
"Lyd? Gordon? What happened to you guys?"  
  
Link called out repeatedly into the darkness that surrounded him, but got no response from his comrades. He had been wandering aimlessly for several minutes now, trying to find them, but it didn't feel like he was actually going anywhere.  
  
Suddenly, his ears picked up a hissing wind. It started quiet, then got louder and more forceful all at once. It swirled around him like a hurricane. As he went for his sword instinctively, the darkness was blown away by this wind and scenery was finally revealed. It was nighttime there now. He was standing somewhere in Hyrule Field. Dark storm clouds raged overhead, complete with all kinds of thunder and lightning. He could barely make out Hyrule Castle, Kakariko Village, and the Kokiri Forest from where he was standing. All were on fire. The Hylian could hear the screams of the town's inhabitants as they tried deperately to save themselves.  
  
As he gawked in horror at what he saw, he heard a familiar laugh somewhere behind him. Ganondorf. Link spun around and saw him a little ways in the distance, dark and forboding as ever.  
  
He also spotted Lydia. Ganondorf had a solid grip on her neck and was holding her up off the ground while she weakly struggled to break his grip. The hand that held the girl had the symbol of a fully-completed Triforce on it.  
Before Link could do what he always did instinctively whenever the girl was threatened, Ganondorf suddenly charged up magic in his arm and released it through his hand. Dark electricity discharged, piercing Lydia's body over and over while she screamed in pain. As quickly as it had begun, it was over, and Ganondorf finally released his grip. The girl fell and crumpled on the ground like a rag.  
  
Link screamed her name in a panic and dashed toward them as fast as he could get his body to move. The Evil King chuckled and gave Link the most mocking smirk he could muster up. In a flash of dark magic, Ganondorf was gone.  
  
The Hylian skidded to a stop, knelt down, and cradled the sorceress in his arms. He yelled her name repeatedly, begging her to respond. Finally, she weakly opened her eyes and looked up into his. Her eyes were dulled and weak-looking. They looked like they wanted to cry, but didn't have the energy to do so.  
  
"...Link...," she whispered to him. "...You promised...that you'd always protect me... You...prom..ised..."  
  
Her green eyes slowly closed, her body went limp, and her labored breathing stopped.  
  
As his spirit and desire to live shattered, Link burst into tears and held the girl against his chest as she died in his arms.  
  
Ganondorf continued to wreak havoc on the land with his full Triforce. The ground around Link broke apart as it was shaken by a great earthquake. Trees fell all around him. The clouds blackened even farther and lighting struck harder. Lon Lon Ranch partially fell into the ground. Lake Hylia overflowed. Hyrule Castle continued to burn. People continued to die.  
  
But Link didn't care. He hadn't kept his promise, and Lydia was dead because of his failure. He wished he could die himself. No, he didn't even _deserve_ death.  
  
Just then, something inside Link's tunic started to feel warm and glow. He reached into his shirt and pulled out the culprit. It was the Lens of Truth, growing brilliantly and radiating heat. He wasn't sure what it was, but something compelled him to look through the Lens.   
  
He slowly raised it up to his right eye. When the glass was at his eye-level and he could see through it, there was a brilliant flash of white light from the Lens that blinded him and caused him to recoil in shock. The white light expanded quickly and enveloped everything in sight.  
  
And then everything was dark and quiet again.  
  
When Link finally worked up the courage to open his eyes again, the scenery had changed again. He was in a fairly small room. The walls and floor were made of tightly-packed dirt. It seemed that, other than himself, it was empty.  
  
But something was strange. Something about his body felt strange. As his head continued to clear, he realized that something had a grip on both of his arms, the back of his neck, and on his waist. It was a cold, dead grip, that reminded him of the monster he called Ugly down in the well the day before. After another few minutes, his mind had completely cleared up and he realized that it reminded him of Ugly because it was the same monster. The things that held him were white, pastey, dead arms much like Ugly's, all sticking out of the dirt ground, holding him up a few inches in the air, keeping him from moving.  
  
His muscles were weak, but he managed to twist his neck just enough to look to his left. Just over there was another set of hands arranged in the same fashion. The person they were holding onto was Gordon. His eyes were tightly closed, his teeth were gritted, and his limbs twitched, like he was having a nightmare.  
  
A sudden pang of hope hit Link as he started to realize what was going on. Fighting the hand that held his neck, he twisted his head over to look to his right. His heart melted with relief. There, held by hands in just the same way, was Lydia. She looked alive and well, save for the fact that she also seemed to be having a nightmare of some kind. Tears streamed down her face as she watched whatever that nightmare was.  
  
But that wasn't all. Just to Lydia's right was another person, also held fast by the clammy hands. It took Link a moment to recognize her -- it had been a long time. It was Impa, Princess Zelda's Sheikah attendant, held fast in a nightmare of her own. She must have been down here for days... It was a good thing Sheikahs were so resilliant.  
  
Link realized what had happened. This monster that resembled Ugly... it had some kind of modification. It had the power to show a person the worst fear that dwelled in their heart, and keep them in that nightmare indefinitely. It was then that Link realized the true purpose of the Lens of Truth in this temple. If he hadn't had it, none of them would have had a chance of ever escaping their individual nightmares.  
  
What Link had seen was indeed his worst nightmare. Without the Lens of Truth, he would have never escaped it.  
  
The Hylian's muscles trembled and his tear-soaked face twisted with sheer anger at what this monster had done to them. By sheer force of will and adrenilin, he forced strength to return to his limbs. He _had_ to get loose. If anything, to free his friends from their individual horrors. If their nightmares were anything like his...  
  
After taking a few deep breaths, Link let loose a fierce battle cry and pulled as hard as he could against the arm that held his sword arm. It wouldn't let go at first, but the Hylian was too angry to let up. He continued to pull with more and more force until he finally managed to slip his arm free. Before the arm could regain itself and grab his arm again, Link had taken the Master Sword from its sheath. With agility only he could manage, he swung his arm in various directions, cutting arm after arm at their source. The stems fell away and retreated into the ground. What remained above the cut site simply disintigrated into dust.  
  
Once completely free, Link stumbled forward and fell down on his side, completely exhausted. It seemed that not only did those hands trap their prey in a nightmare, it fed off of their bodies for energy. It was several minutes of heavy breathing on the ground before Link could muster the strength to stand up again, with the aide of the Master Sword as a crutch.  
  
He stumbled over to the group of hands that held Lydia and stood behind them. They didn't notice his presense nor care, which made it particularly easy for Link to slice them all in one swing. The stems retreated into the ground, the rest disintigrated, and Lydia fell forward onto the dirt floor, still unconscious.  
  
Link sighed and rammed the Sword far enough into the dirt that it would stand on its own. He stumbled over to where Lydia had fallen, knelt down, took her in his arms and hugged her tightly, thankful to all gods in existance that she was alive.  
  
After another moment, she whimpered loudly, finally starting to come around. She slowly opened one eye. "...What?" she whispered, confused as to where she was. She sat up the rest of the way and looked around. When her eyes met Link's, she looked shocked, as if his presense was the last thing she expected. "...Link?"  
  
The Hylian smiled at her as new tears streamed down his face. "Listen," he said happily, mixing in enough of the urgency tone so that she'd pay attention to his words. "Whatever you saw wasn't real. It was a just a nightmare -- the complete opposite of reality." He paused and hugged her again. "Everything's okay now..."  
  
Finally starting to understand, Lydia's body relaxed and she buried her face in his shirt, clinging to him as if she would never again get the chance.  
  
Link wanted to stay like this forever, but knew Gordon and Impa were still being held. "Can you move at all?" he asked the girl.  
  
"...I'm weak, but I think I can move," she whispered.  
  
"Spells?"  
  
"With a little effort."  
  
Link backed away from her far enough that she could see the hands that held her brother a little ways across the room. Following Link's gaze, she twisted around and saw a strange woman behind her, being held in the same way.  
  
"...I recognize those things," Lydia breathed in utter disgust.  
  
With his strength almost back up to full, Link pulled himself to his feet and yanked the Master Sword out of the floor. "Those are what's generating the nightmares. Gordon and Impa are still suck in theirs."  
  
Lydia looked at the strange woman. She had grey hair tied back in a bun, and wore tight-fitting black armor. If she had seen this woman on the street, she would have been intimidated by her. "This is Impa?"  
  
"Can you cut those hands away?"  
  
The sorceress crawled over to where Impa was being held. "I think so." She moved over to Impa's left side and sat in such a position that had all the hands lined up in front of her. Lydia put both of her hands together and took a deep breath. "**Flare Arrow!**" When she took her hands apart again, a long arrow of flame floated in front of her chest. She carefully gripped the back end with three fingers and aimed the tip at the row of arms, then let it fly. It cut through the arms one by one at their base, then flew across the room and exploded against the far wall. The hands disintigrated and Impa fell limply forward.  
  
Lydia sighed, exhausted, and turned to look for Link. He had already cut Gordon free and was helping him stand, quietly talking to him. As she watched him, she remembered the things he had said to her in the nightmare. Was it really the opposite of reality, as the _real_ Link had said... or was she really a burden to him? He'd never admit it, of course... But what if she was?  
  
Her thoughts were interrupted when Impa stirred. The woman lifted her head, and when she saw Lydia, she gave her a really threatening try-anything-and-I'll-kill-ya look.  
  
"It's okay," Lydia said to her. "We're here on Zelda's behalf."  
  
Impa's cold, hard eyes trailed across the room, and when she saw Link, her face softened and her guard dropped. She looked back at Lydia and said, "...The Princess. Is she well?"  
  
Lydia smiled. "Quite. She's safe for now. We're your rescue squad."  
  
The Sheikah woman grunted and sat up with more strength than she _should_ have had after being down here for as long as she had been. Link approached them them with one of Gordon's arms draped across his shoulders.  
  
"What the hell happened?" Gordon grunted, fighting to stand on his own.  
  
"A monster down here creates illusions and nightmares," Link quietly explained. "I don't think they are nightmares that are meant to ever be escaped from."  
  
Lydia's eyebrows wrinkled. "You were the first to wake up, Link... How did _you_ get out of it if escape was so improbable?"  
  
The Hylian smiled as he remembered. "The Lens of Truth...cut through the illusion and set me free."  
  
Starting to finally find his legs, Gordon chuckled quietly with understanding. "So the Lens' true purpose is revealed..."  
  
Link opened his mouth to add something, but stopped mid-breath. There was movement in the center of the room. No one else seemed to notice, but he felt it. He didn't hear it or see it... he _felt_ it somehow. Before he could warn the others, the dirt shifted violently and a large creature slowly rose from it. Lydia gasped and Gordon growled as they both recognized it. It was another Ugly, except larger, and the teeth were pointed and sharp - meant for meat-chewing. It was still white, but instead of patches of pink skin were patches of strangely evil-looking dark purple.  
  
Impa immediately tried to stand and go for a weapon, but immediately fell to a knee. She was still too drained to do much of anything. Gordon was also still too weak. Lydia suffered from both weakness and fright and stayed frozen in place.  
  
Although weak himself yet, Link lowered Gordon down to his knees, then turned to face the monster. It snarled and moaned at him. He snarled back for a moment, and then spoke.  
  
"So, we meet again, Ugly."  
  
The two sorcerers looked at him. 'Again'?  
  
Link continued to growl at the monster. "What we did to you seven years ago just wasn't enough to fully banish you from this world, was it? I guess full-blown Undead really _aren't_ dispatched as easily as anything else."  
  
Ugly's head and arms wobbled as it started moving toward Link, angry that he had somehow broken free of its spell on his own.  
  
"However," the Hylian continued, "this time, we've got something on our side that will surely put your restless soul in peace for good." As he spoke, he slowly, almost dramatically slid the Master Sword from its sheath. The magnificent blade almost _glowed_ with anticipation. He held the sword in front of him with both hands and stared Ugly down with cold, battle-hardened eyes. "Rest now."  
  
As Link watched the monster creep closer, his muscles screamed with effort, and he realized that he was nowhere near strong enough for a real fight. He'd have to finish this with one blow. It was all he had in him.  
  
For just a moment, he closed his eyes and steadied himself. Images from his nightmare ran through his head repeatedly, causing his emotions to slowly boil up. This monster had put him through a short version of Hell itself and needed to pay for it.  
  
Link's eyes snapped open and he ran forward, bellowing angrily, with the Master Sword held out to his left side. The mark of the Triforce of Courage flickered just for a moment and the Master Sword glowed with energy. Ugly remembered this and was determined not to let this kid ram a sword through his head again. The monster steadied itself and prepared to strike. As the boy drew within range, Ugly threw its head forward, chomping its sharp teeth, craving the taste of flesh.  
  
But Link suddenly dodged to the right and Ugly's face sailed harmlessly past his left shoulder. He knelt down just slightly and tightened his grip on the sword. Ugly's neck was _wide_ open. Before the monster could recoil, Link released his battle cry and swung the sword upward as hard as he could, slicing right through the neck.  
  
As he followed through with the swing, Ugly's head fell to the ground, flopped around for a moment, and then burst into flames as the power of the Master Sword pulsed through it. As Link dodged clear, the rest of the body caught fire as well.  
  
As the body burned, everyone felt their bodily weakness draining away. Their strength was returning. With Ugly's demise, the energy that it had sucked from them was being released. After another moment, all that remained of Ugly was a pile of black ashes.  
  
Lydia stared with an open mouth. "Wow. _That_ didn't happen before."  
  
Link stood up and turned around, quite proud of himself. He smiled and gazed at his reflection in the blade of the sword. "Yeah. I love this thing." He slowly sheathed it, then straightened his face and tried to act more serious. "That creature won't be bothering us again."  
  
A deep chuckle came from Impa's throat, and she raised her hand to the Hylian - some kind of salute. "It has been many years since I have seen you, young Link. And you've become quite the Hero."  
  
Link stood up straight and puffed his chest out a bit. "I am doing by best to pull Hyrule out of these dark times. The Princess Zelda is safe for now, and we draw closer to defeating Ganondorf every day."  
  
Impa chuckled again, waving a hand slightly. "At ease, young one." She gazed over to where the remains of the monster lay. "...I am truly in your debt."  
  
Gordon stood with strength returned, and gazed upward, looking for means of escape. Barely in sight was a circle of light - the room they had fallen from, no doubt. "What say we get out of here?" he asked everyone. "It looks like we can just fly up and out."  
  
As soon as she heard that, Impa smiled at the two with small ears. "Ah, so you _are_ the ones Zelda sent Link after all those years ago. ...I supposed that."  
  
Lydia couldn't possibly miss _that_ opportunity. "We sure are! We're the unbeatable, all-powerful, bow-to-us sorcerers! And we're here to give Ganondorf a real headache! We're--"  
  
"But first of all," Link said, cutting off her string of self-praises, "we have to get out of here. Let's go find that shadow spirit."  
  
The sorceress glared at him. "You are really no fun, you...dull, no-fun guy."  
  
Link simply smiled at her. After all, he thought, the fact that she can verbally jab at him meant that she was really alive and okay. That was good enough for him.  


*~*~*~* 

After a few long moments of magical flight directly upward, the group found themselves back in the room they had fallen from. They all quickly moved away from the bird statue, having previously made the connection that it meant trouble. All that was left was that door in front of them with the bars on it.  
  
Lydia widened her eyes hopefully, and looked at Link. "...Can I?"  
  
Link shrugged. "As long as it gets opened somehow."  
  
"Yay!" The sorceress pranced forward eagarly. She had been dying to blow something up for a good while now. She cracked her knuckles and threw her hands toward the door. "**Damu Brass!!**"  
  
A red ball of light flew forward and struck the ground in front of the door, exploding on impact. The door frame shook so violently that the bars were knocked loose. They stayed intact otherwise, but fell free of the door and clanged loudly on the floor. When the dust cleared, Lydia chuckled and congratulated herself. She raised her arms and flexed her muscles like a body-builder would.  
  
"Impressive," she heard Impa say.  
  
"Totally!" she shouted back. "Forward, troops!" She ran through the door and disappeared without waiting.  
  
Link sighed. "Reckless as ever..."  
  
"Well, it's not so bad," Gordon said as the rest of them started toward the doorway. "It seems she was relatively unphased by what happened back there."  
  
"...Yeah..."  
  
Of course, that's not what Link really thought. He knew she was faking it. It was obvious to him. Whatever she saw really bothered her. But now wasn't really the time to bring it up, and he concentrated on what lay ahead.  
  
They found Lydia just through the door. She had stopped and was gazing down into a large hole. The room they were in was quite small - barely enough floor space to house that hole, and was empty except for it.  
  
"What's down there?" Link asked as he walked up beside her.  
  
Lydia hummed quietly. "Um... I'm not entirely sure... But it absolutely reeks of shadow spirit." She straightened up and gazed back at her brother and Impa. "Are we ready?"  
  
They nodded, and Gordon took a firm hold on Impa's wrist, ready to lower them both down into the hole. Lydia did the same with Link, and they all jumped in. About halfway down, the sorcerers caught the entire group with levitation magic and slowly lowered everyone down onto the white floor in the gigantic room below.  
  
Upon touchdown, it became obvious that it wasn't really a normal floor. It was tight, yet gave with every step. It was a huge platform they were standing on in a room that was so huge they couldn't even _find_ the walls. This platform...it was so strange.  
  
They realized it all at once. It was a drum. They were standing upon a giant drum.  
  
Just then, a familiar voice cackled.  
  
_You meddlesome little beings!! You weren't supposed to break free of those illusions! Not only that, you destroyed my precious Dead Hand! I'll get you all for this! No more playing!_  
  
Something huge dropped down onto the drum over to the right and knocked everyone off their feet. It was a giant hand with thick fingers and no arm. Just the hand, floating there. As everyone climbed to their feet, another hand came down on the left and knocked them all down again.  
  
As these hands lightly drummed a beat, the main body appeared in the center, above them. ...It was the most bizarre-looking thing they had seen yet. It looked like a cross between a sock and some sort of plant - shaped like a sock, but open at the bottom like the blossom of a plant, exposing a large red eye.  
  
The main body disappeared from sight, and the hands went on a rampage, pounding down on the drum repeatedly. They were no longer keeping a beat, but were merely trying to squash whoever they could, sending the group jumping and diving in all directions trying to avoid them, all the while trying to stay on their feet as the drum shook.  
  
Gordon tripped and went down, turning over on his back in time to see a hand coming down on him. "**Flare Arrow!**", he shouted, sending the arrow of fire directly into the palm of the hand. When the magic struck, the hand shrieked and recoiled, shaking itself violently, as if trying to ease the pain.  
  
The boy stood up quickly. "They're not invulnerable!" he shouted. "Just shoot 'em!"  
  
While the two sorcerers each took a hand and worked to keep it at bay with various pain-inflicting spells, Link's eyes darted back and forth, looking for the main body, which had disappeared into the darkness. But search as he might, it just wasn't anywhere.  
  
Impa, standing just behind him, put a hand on his shoulder. "Boy, the Lens of Truth!" she said to him, exasperated that he hadn't already started using that.  
  
Link's nimble hand had the Lens out in less than a second, and he gazed through it. ...There it was, just between the two hands, where it would be expected to be hiding. It was hiding itself with invisibility, becoming just like all those fake walls. The red eye was the obvious weakness. It wasn't exactly well-hidden, since it wasn't supposed to be seen at _all_.  
  
The Hylian's brain worked hard for a few seconds, then he snapped his fingers. "I have a plan!" he shouted loudly over the shrieking of the hands. "Everyone come over here!"  
  
The two sorcerers fired spells at the same time, striking each hand, momentarily stunning them, then ran to where Link and Impa stood. Link gave Impa his bow and quiver, and shoved the Lens of Truth into Gordon's hands.  
  
"We have to go for the eye," he said. "Impa, I need you to stick an arrow in it. Gordon, use that Lens to help her find it. Lyd, we need you to keep those hands at bay while they go after the eye." He reached up and yanked the Master Sword out of the sheath. "Once you hit the eye, I'll go in for the final blow."  
  
"You got it, Long Ears!" shouted Lydia, who ran off to one side. Gordon and Impa nodded confidently, then ran off to another side. Link stood, Master Sword at the ready, for his cue to attack.  
  
Impa squared her shoulders professionally and raised the bow with almost as much grace as Link had, securing an arrow in it, ready to fly. Gordon stood just behind her with the Lens raised to his left eye. As he watched the eye's movements, one of the hands shook away the paralysis and swung itself toward them. An arrow of fire sailed over their heads and struck the hand, knocking it back again, followed by Lydia's typical shout of success.  
  
"Okay," Gordon whispered, watching the main body move toward them. "When I give the word...let it go."  
  
The Sheikah nodded, battle-hardened skills at the ready.  
  
The main body of the spirit continued to move sideways as Lydia kept firing at its hands. Closer, closer... Just a little more... Finally, the eye was lined up with Impa's aim and started forward toward them.  
  
"Now!!" Gordon bellowed. The arrow released.  
  
Link's quick eyes watch the arrow fly as if it were happening in slow motion. It struck something he couldn't see at first, but as soon as the eye was hit, the entire body of the monster fell out of its cloak of invisibility and fell down onto the drum, stunned for the moment.  
  
Now or never. Link dashed forward with the Master Sword held out to his side. Again, the mark of the Triforce of Courage glowed and the blade of the sword was coated with great energy. Just as the spirit was about to regain its bearings, Link shoved the blade into the red eye as far and as hard as could, and let the Triforce release its energy.  
  
The monster shrieked with pain and rage as the Sword held it pinned in place. The energy of the Triforce coursed through it again and again, filling the entire room with bright light.  
  
Link yanked the sword free and quickly ran out of the way as the monster collapsed upon the drum's surface. It immediately started to disintigrate into the same purple thing that had attacked Kakariko the other day. Then, even that started to smoke and evaporate until it was completely gone.  
  
The shadow spirit was no more.  
  
Satisfied with the day's work, the Master Sword's glow dulled back to normal again, and Link replaced it in its sheath. Before he could so much as sigh contently, he was pounced on from behind.  
  
"Let's hear it for Link, the Plan Master!" Lydia shouted happily, lowering herself off of Link's back. "Did you think that up right there and then?"  
  
Link smirked at her. "That I did. I mean, it was the _obvious_ thing to do."  
  
"Good for you, Hero of Time."  
  
Impa and Gordon approached the two then, and the Shiekah handed Link his bow and quiver. "Well done, young Hero."  
  
He nodded. "Thank you for your help," he replied shyly, slipping the equipment back under his shield.  
  
Gordon's gaze wandered over to the center of the drum. "...Oh, hello. We're being called."  
  
The other three looked and saw the all-too-familiar circle of light there, prepared to lead them to the Chamber of Sages.  
  
Lydia sighed. "Well, that's enough fun for one day, guys. Let's call it a night."  
  
----  
  
A few moments later found the group in the Chamber of Sages. Link and the two sorcerers stood alone on the medallion in the center. Impa stood in front of them on the medallion of the Shadow Sage. For the first time since Link had met her, she was smiling. She was usually too serous to smile.  
  
"Well done, all of you," she said cooly, with her arms crossed. "I am assured now that you will be able to protect the Princess in my place. I shall stay here as the Shadow Sage and help you however I can - this is how I will repay you for pulling me out of the shadow spirit's world of illusion. I know you will someday save Hyrule from the Evil King Ganondorf."  
  
"Oh, don't worry," Link said. "We will. We definitely will."  
  
"Go then. May the Triforce be with you."  
  
With that, the room brightened and the floor fell away as the trio was sent away from the Chamber. Five sages down, one to go. Things were definitely looking bright.  
  
But...who could that last sage be?  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
"Nice night," Lydia whispered, her eyes glued to the sky.  
  
"Yeah," Link said back. "Kakariko hasn't seen such a clear night in some time, I'm sure."  
  
It was true - now that the shadow spirit had finally been destroyed, the forboding rainclouds that had been hanging over Kakariko for days had finally retreated, giving way to the shining stars and full moon. Lydia and Link were sitting upon the roof of their little house in the town, watching the stars twinkle. Gordon had already gone to bed a while earlier, as had most of the Kakariko villagers. The town was dark and quiet, appreciating the solitude it was finally getting.  
  
The girl sighed. "...We sure have been through a lot since we first met, haven't we?" she asked, and took another bite from the piece of bread she was munching on as a snack.  
  
"Mmm," Link agreed, not taking his eyes from the magnificence of this night's stars.  
  
"Monsters, magic, evil Gerudo guy, sages... A lot has happened." Her voice trailed off as memories of that nightmare she had worked themselves into her mind. She swallowed, and lowered the bread down to her lap.  
  
"Link..." she whispered. "...Am I a burden to you?"  
  
Link almost choked with surprise and stared at her. Had she asked what he thought she asked? Of all the ridiculous questions!  
  
"Wh-What?!" he shot back. "How could you possibly think that--" His voice trailed off as he realized what it was. "Oh... Wait. This is about that nightmare you had, isn't it?"  
  
The girl didn't look at him - she only nodded. "I know you said those illusions were pretty much the opposite of reality, but... Am I?"  
  
Link gaped at her for a moment. Was she really worried about this? He reached over and took her hand in his.  
  
"Of course not," he said quietly. "You have never been, nor will you ever be. You're a joy to have around, and I'm glad we met."  
  
The girl smiled at him, feeling more confident.  
  
"After all," Link shyly continued, "...I..."  
  
There was a long pause, and then suddenly, a voice completely foreign to the conversation shouted up at them. "Oh, for God's sake, Link! _Everyone_ has already figured it out! Confess already!!"  
  
Shocked and appalled, Link leaned forward and looked down toward the ground and saw Gordon leaning out of the window, gazing up at them. That little creep had been listening in the whole time!  
  
"Why, you--!!" Link shouted in an unusually Lydia-like way. "I thought you were in bed!!" He grabbed the piece of bread Lydia had been eating ("Hey!!") and threw it down at Gordon, who ducked into the house just in time to avoid getting hit in the forehead with it. Wise enough to have learned his lesson, Gordon quickly closed the window and retreated back into the house.  
  
Lydia gaped down at the ground, not sure how to react. "...So much for my snack," she finally said as she watched a passerby Cucco claim the bread for itself.  
  
Link sighed heavily and tried to steady his heart and make his face stop blushing. The more and more he thought about it, the more it made sense. Maybe Gordon was right. He locked his eyes on the full moon and took a deep breath.  
  
"You're not a burden to me," he said. "I'm happy when you're around. Not having you around would really damage my spirit. ...The nightmare I had in the Shadow Temple only made me further realize my true feelings for you."  
  
Lydia's eyes widened and she stared at him, suddenly realized where he was going with this.  
  
Link took another breath. "...I love you. And I always want you to be with me."  
  
A tear streamed down Lydia's face before she could stop it and her body trembled with emotion. She smiled as more tears came, slid her body next to his, and rested her head on his shoulder.  
  
"...I know."  
  
Link smiled and curled an arm around her shoulders. "I thought maybe you did."  
  
Back down in the house, Gordon pulled his ear off the glass of the window and smiled to himself. "_Finally_," he breathed. "I thought he'd never go through with it." Trying to be as quiet as possible, the boy crawled back into bed, quite satisfied with himself.  
  
As for the two up on the roof, they sat there for the rest of the night to watch the moon set and the sun rise. For the first time in a long while, all was right with the world. 


	32. Chapter 29

Well, well, well. Look at this. A chapter. Way, WAY late, as usual.  
  
I'm so sorry, everyone. I've had a really hectic couple of years, but I'm still working at it! ^_^  
  
My main concern, though, is some panicked e-mails I've received. Most of them go something like this: "Have you stopped writing your story?! NO! Please finish! I must know what happens! Aaahhhh!!"  
  
Let me make this point here and now: I will NOT stop writing this story until I have typed the final sentence of the final chapter. I've worked on it too hard and have too much cool stuff planned to stop now.  
  
To you, the fans that have stuck with me through all the delays, I thank you yet again. Please have faith in me. It may take a while, but don't worry, you WILL know how this story ends.  
  
For now, enjoy the new chapter.  
  
Okay, I hope this doesn't look too freaky. I'm once again experimenting with FanFiction.net's goofy formatting. This is the first time I've uploaded a chapter as a .txt file, so we'll see how that works out.  
  
The paragraphs seem to work just fine... but it seems it's gonna display the HTML tags. EVIL!!!  
  
Anyway, I'm so sorry about that. I don't want to completely take them out, as italics and bold text are quite meaningful, so either go to my website (below) or PRETEND that the HTML is working. For those that don't know... i marks the beginning of italic text, /i marks the end. Same goes for bold text, except with b and /b. If you see anything weirder than that, it's around a spell - it's supposed to color the text. Unfortunately, it only works at my website.  
  
If you desire perfect formatting and HTML tags that are actually functional, read the chapter in the fanfics section of www.zelda-infinite.com. The name it's under there is "Goddess Rinoa".  
  
Love always, and may the Triforce be with you,  
  
Lydia  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
bWorlds Apart  
  
Part II  
  
By Miss Lydia/Goddess Rinoa  
  
Chapter 29/b  
  
Ganondorf paced back and forth in his tower, chewing on his thumbnail, visibly irritated and worried. His cape followed him loyally, curling around his ankles with every step.  
  
"This can't happen anymore," he muttered to himself. "They've gotten too far. The destruction of the shadow is just too much. I must take care of this once and for all!"  
  
As the Evil King continued to pace around and talk to himself, Nabooru watched quietly from a dark corner of the room, leaning against the wall with her arms crossed. She had mixed feelings about the destruction of the shadow spirit in Kakariko. Obviously, her first thought was that it was bad - bad for her master's plan. ...But not soon after, she started to have nagging feelings of relief in her gut. Something kept reminding her that the fact that those three were doing so well was a igood/i thing, not a bad thing. She had absolutely no idea why, but this had been happening to her for a while now. With every day that went past, she felt less loyal to Ganondorf and more tempted to cheer on the Hero and his friends instead.  
  
"All three of them need to be destroyed," Ganondorf continued to rant. "iEspecially/i that damned girl-witch. I've had it up to ihere/i with her. I should go out there right now and just take her head off in a single swipe. That would take care of ithat/i. And then I'll--"  
  
His voice suddenly broke off and he stopped pacing. His hand wandered up to his chin as he started to think hard. His eyes widened slightly and a crooked smile crawled across his face.  
  
Nabooru raised an eyebrow and continued to watch him.  
  
After several silent moments, Ganondorf chuckled softly and started to walk toward the window that faced south. "...I've just been struck with a brilliant idea. An absolutely brilliant idea, indeed." He stopped at the window, then swung completely around and looked at Nabooru excitedly. "Would you like to hear my plan? It's a wonderfully brilliant plan. I'm sure you'll love it!"  
  
The Gerudo woman looked back at him and gave him an indifferent shrug.  
  
"Right, then." Ganondorf turned back to the window and rested his hands on the broken brick sill. "A few minutes ago, I was swearing to myself that I'd kill these kids with my own hands. Oh, how exceptionally satisfying that would be... But just now I thought of something that would be even imore/i satisfying." He chuckled again as he rolled the idea over in his mind. "Why kill them myself when I can get them to kill ieach other/i?"  
  
Nabooru's chest tightened in spite of herself. She thought she had an idea of where he was going with this, and she didn't like it at all. ...See, there it was again - she was having disloyal thoughts toward her master. Why?!  
  
"Hmm...," Ganondorf continued. "I'll never get where I want with this unless I can isolate one of them from the other two. And then I'll have to..." His voice trailed off again. He glanced up at Nabooru, then back down at the floor. His eyes suggested that he was working the Gerudo woman into his plans somehow, whatever they were.  
  
He looked up finally. "Ah, yes... That'll work perfectly. What a great plan this is!"  
  
Ganondorf turned sharply, sending his cape whipping about, and started to walk toward Nabooru. The woman was hesitant to move, so stayed right where she was, watching him come closer. The look in his eyes worried her. He had something sinister in mind, she was sure of it.  
  
The Evil King stopped right in front of her and bent down so that his eyes were level with hers. "Sorry, but I'm going to need my full magical strength for this plan to work. I need to take what you have."  
  
He had barely gotten the last word out before his hand shot up and grabbed Nabooru's forehead. The woman shouted with surprise as he tightened his grip on her face. A surge of magic pulsed through her body, and then she began to feel magical energy being drained from her. As more and more of it left her, she began to see scenes in her head. She saw the person she was before Ganondorf took control of her mind. She saw the girl sorcerer use her own magic to free her from the Evil King's, and then saw him take control of her yet again. She saw the same girl using her magic on her every time they met, repeatedly trying to break Ganondorf's hold on her mind. She saw her getting attacked again and again by Ganondorf's phantom, and remembered all at once her feelings at that time.  
  
Ganondorf suddenly let go of Nabooru's head and she fell to the ground. She sat up and leaned against the wall, staring in fear up at the Gerudo man. He had completely taken away his hold on her mind - she was free again.  
  
"...Why?" she whispered up at him.  
  
The man cracked the knuckles in his right hand. "Like I already said, in order for what I have in mind to work, I'm going to need iall/i of my magic, including what was inside of you. But there's no problem with this. I have no real further need of you. Except for ione/i final task..." He bent down suddenly and yanked Nabooru to her feet. "You're going to be bait."  
  
He smiled evilly at her before sending electricity through her body. Her screams of pain delighted him. When he pulled the magic back, she fell limp. In one swift motion, he draped the woman over his shoulder.  
  
For some unknown reason, he felt compelled to glance out of the south window once more. As he did, he thought he saw something out in the Field. Using his magic to get a better look, he saw that it was a person, draped in a cloak, making tracks toward Kakariko Village. A little more magic showed him that it wasn't just iany/i person, but it was Princess Zelda, foolishly walking about alone as usual.  
  
Ganondorf got excited, almost giddy, at the sight of this. "Oh, this is just itoo/i perfect!" he bellowed. Knowing he'd have to hurry to make it in time, he dashed for the stairway, keeping one arm on Nabooru. "It just gets better and better!"  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
Gordon yawned loudly and glanced at his watch. It was pushing noon already. The sun had moved to a high position in the sky and was no longer sending direct light into the windows.  
  
As he continued to chew on his breakfast, the sorcerer glanced over at the side of the house, at the beds there. Two of them were still occupied, which was no surprise. He hadn't heard Link and Lydia come in until just after sunrise earlier that morning. They had been up all night talking. Gordon chuckled - it was about darn time Link had fessed up. Everyone iknew/i, anyway. It was painfully obvious how he felt about her.  
  
Taking a swig from his mug of water, his mind wandered on to other thoughts. Mainly, the events of the day before. He remembered the nightmare the Dead Hand had trapped him in. Link and Lydia walking off together, Ganondorf waiting for them... him turning back into a little kid. Supposedly, it was his worst fear. ...But what was it? The nightmare hadn't been very clear. What was it that he was afraid of?  
  
It came to him suddenly. Helplessness. He was afraid of being helpless when it mattered the most. He had never realized it until just now. He was afraid of being unable to help, and someone getting hurt as a consequence. Taking another swig of his water, he swore right there that he would never let something like that happen.  
  
Just then, there was a soft knock on the door. Moving slowly as to not wake the sleeping pair, Gordon crept up the door and opened it carefully, squinting at the sunlight that poured in. There was a relatively small person standing there, completely hidden by a worn, beaten-up brown cloak. Before Gordon could even raise an eyebrow, a slender hand came out of the folds of cloth and pulled the hood down. A pair of pretty blue eyes and a lot of blond hair became visible.  
  
Gordon smirked and leaned against the door frame. "You iknow/i you shouldn't be wandering around by yourself," he said.  
  
Princess Zelda smiled shyly. "I'm sorry," she said. "I just wanted to find out how things went... with the shadow spirit... I haven't slept all night. I've been worried..."  
  
The sorcerer smiled. "It was barely a challenge," he lied. "We went in, smote it, came out. It won't be a problem anymore, and Impa is safe as well. She's doing what she can from the Realm."  
  
Zelda sighed with great relief. "That is wonderful news," she said, smiling at Gordon. "I cannot begin to express my gratitude to you and your sister for all of your help all this time. You've been truly invaluable."  
  
Gordon smiled, a bit embarrassed. "Nah..."  
  
The princess leaned into the house just slightly, her eyes landing on the two occupied beds. Her questioning eyes met Gordon's, and she asked, "...They are not ill, are they?"  
  
"No, oh no," he replied. "They were just up most of the night. Talking."  
  
Zelda's eyebrows went up. "Talking?" She paused for a moment, and then smiled girlishly and leaned closer to Gordon's ear. "Link... Did he finally...?"  
  
The boy chuckled softly. "Yeah," he whispered back. "He finally told her."  
  
The princess giggled happily. "That's wonderful! Ah, I'm very... happy for them."  
  
As her voice trailed off, Zelda's eyes went back to the lump of blankets Link was sleeping under and stayed there. It was then that Gordon noticed something. Her feelings of happiness for the two were sincere, yes... but the boy noticed something else in Zelda's eyes. There was a look of longing there, a yearning for something. She was looking at him the way Lydia often did - with soft, gentle eyes and a slight smile on her face.  
  
Gordon's gut wrenched as the realization hit him. Princess Zelda, even though she had never hinted toward it before, and however subtle they were... she also had feelings for Link. Even so, she seemed to have graciously stepped aside for Lydia's sake. But that obviously wasn't ebbing her feelings at all. She was just dealing with it as best as she could. He wanted to say something comforting to her on the matter, but didn't want to let on that he knew, so instead, he set his hand on her right shoulder.  
  
"Are you all right?" he asked softly.  
  
Zelda jumped slightly and looked up at him, as if coming out of a trance. Her eyes met Gordon's. She smiled, and nodded. "Y-Yes, thank you, I am fine," she lied.  
  
The sorcerer gave her the most gentle, comforting smile he could muster up as he began to have an all-new respect for the princess.  
  
Just then, Lydia's lump of blankets shifted. "Mmfhh.. Heey.. Whuz with the noise, huh? Whaz goin' on? People'll are tryin' ta sleep here..." Her face appeared, drooping in sleepyness.  
  
"Sorry," her brother said. "I forgot it was only noon."  
  
Lydia grumbled. "I don't appreciate your sarcasm, little man." She pulled the blankets down and caught a glimpse of Princess Zelda in the door. All sleepyness gone for the moment, she quickly rolled out of bed, still in her clothes from the day before, grabbed her glasses off the table, and shuffled toward the door.  
  
"Where's Malon?" she asked Zelda, slipping her glasses on. "Are you here alone? ...You iknow/i you shouldn't be doing that..."  
  
Gordon waved his hand at her. "It's okay, it's okay - she was just checking up on us."  
  
"Even so," she replied with a loud yawn. "It's still not a good idea. ...Here, if we're all finished talking and waking people up here, I'll walk you back to Lon Lon."  
  
"Oh!" Zelda breathed in surprise. "Th-That's certainly not necessary. I can get back myself."  
  
"I insist," Lydia pressed as she pulled her shoes on. "Link would get mad if he knew I let you go back alone, and he'd bug me about it iall/i day long, telling me all about the chances, however slim, of Ganondorf trying to pull something."  
  
"Speaking of Link," Gordon said suddenly. "Think I should wake him up? He might want to go with you."  
  
Lydia stood back up and glanced over to where Link slept. Her eyes softened and she smiled at him. "...Nah. He deserves a peaceful sleep once in a while." She looked back at her brother, who wasn't convinced. "Besides, I'm a big girl. I'll be ifine/i. I can take care of myself."  
  
"Okaaayyy," Gordon replied, still not really convinced. "Come right back, though. You remember all that jazz about that guy wanting your hide."  
  
"I know, I know, but I'm not exactly afraid of the old man." She clapped her hands together, suddenly remembering something, and pointed at Zelda. "And on the way, I have iquite/i a story to tell you," she said with a smile, of course referring to all the things Din had told her the other night.  
  
As Zelda turned to begin the trek back to Lon Lon, Lydia tip-toed over to her bed. She reached under it and grabbed hold of her duffel bag, and gave it a hard tug. The zipper got caught on something on the way out and the bag unzipped loudly. Lydia cringed, froze, and slowly looked over her shoulder at Link. When she saw that the noise hadn't woken him up, she started to rummage through the stuff in the bag, finally pulling out the hilt of her longsword.  
  
Nabooru's pink ribbon was still tied to it. Lydia's nimble fingers worked at the knot for a moment until the ribbon finally came loose.   
  
Gordon looked on as Lydia stood back up and moved over to the mirror. She picked up her brush and started raking through her hair with it, wincing and cursing every time she hit a knot. After the mass of it was relatively knot-free, she started brushing it upward, then tied it back into a thick ponytail using the pink ribbon.  
  
When she finished, she smiled girlishly and walked back to the door. "It's hot today," she explained. "Thought I should give myself a break."  
  
"U-Um," Gordon stammered as the girls started to leave. "Do you want me to come with you? I...I kinda have a bad feeling about you going alone."  
  
Lydia gave him a really annoyed look. "What... you don't think I can handle whatever's out there? ...Besides, your breakfast isn't done." She waved a finger at him, much as a teacher would at a naughty child. "You shouldn't waste food. ...And don't you dare wake Link up - the guy needs as much sleep at as he can get. If he's not still asleep when I get back, I'm gonna tie you up and drag your skinny white self all over Hyrule. Don't you think I won't, either."  
  
"All right, all right... But, seriously, be careful, okay? You don't want to be eating your words later."  
  
The girl waved him off carelessly. "Whatever. See ya."  
  
With that, she closed the door behind her, and the house was silent again.  
  
Gordon sighed quietly and sat back down in his chair, and started poking at his food again. His sister always got defensive when anyone told her to be careful, but he really had a bad feeling today... He wasn't sure why, but...  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
They were halfway to Lon Lon Ranch before Lydia had finally wrapped up the story about Din and the story of her and her brother's past lives as Hyrulean sorcerers. Zelda was wildly interested the whole time - her blue eyes were wide with eagerness, visible even from under the old cloak's hood, and her fists were balled with excitement.  
  
The newly-reformed Sorcerer's Rune dangled outside Lydia's shirt, catching the sunlight with every one of the girl's steps. She usually kept it tucked into her shirt for safe-keeping, but had taken it out to show Zelda and hadn't put it back in yet. The moment she thought of it, she gently tucked it back into her shirt.  
  
"You showed no hesitation whatsoever in transferring the Triforce of Wisdom to the kid back then," Lydia said, both of her arms behind her head in a relaxed position. "Was it because you knew about Riku and ihis/i connection with it?"  
  
The princess shook her head. "N-No, I didn't really iknow/i... All that happened before I was born. I mean, I learned about the two that were killed trying to stop Ganondorf sometime in my youth, but I had no idea that Riku's soul rested within your brother... or that Maya was within iyou/i..."  
  
"Then why did you give it right to him like that? You didn't even stop to think about it. ...Not that there was itime/i to think...."  
  
Zelda paused for a moment in thought, trying to form an explaination that Lydia would easily understand. When she had found the right combination of words, she started with, "I had a feeling."  
  
Lydia's right eyebrow went up. "Oh?"  
  
"The ones destined to hold the pieces of the Triforce can feel each other's potential. For example, Riku and Maya were killed by Ganondorf because he sensed their ability to hold Triforce pieces. I felt your brother's potential to hold the Triforce of Wisdom in the same way, and knew that it would be safe with him for the time being." She paused again. "Of course, this also means that Ganondorf can feel your potential, just as he felt Maya's. He sees you as a great threat, but according to the Goddess Din, he hasn't figured out iwhy/i just yet. I am certain that when he realizes it is because of your potential to safely hold the Triforce of Power within you, he will do everything he can to make sure it does not happen, perhaps even going as far as...killing you..."  
  
"Yee-iiii-eesshh," Lydia groaned loudly. "That sure puts me in a tough spot. ...We talked about all this stuff yesterday morning, and decided that the best course of action at this point, besides finding the final sage, obviously, is to steal the Triforce of Power from him." She twisted her middle to look at Zelda, who seemed deep in thought. "Does that plan have potential?"  
  
"Hmmm...," Zelda hummed. "...It would be very dangerous... But ipossible/i..."  
  
"Cool," Lydia said, smiling, looking very smug with herself.  
  
"The reason I gave Gordon the Triforce of Wisdom rather than you, for example, is because he was meant for it. If a piece of the Triforce is given to someone who is not well-suited to hold it, it can be easily stolen by just about anyone. This is why, when the Triforce splits, the pieces go only to who is most suited."  
  
She paused to think, then continued.  
  
"But if the person that holds it is imeant/i to have it - Ganondorf - the only way to even have a chance at taking it from them is to have ianother/i person who is meant to have it - you - have a go at it. Link nor Gordon wouldn't have the slightest hope of stealing the Triforce of Power from the Evil King. But iyou/i just might."  
  
"So... For example, since Gordon is imeant/i to hold the Triforce of Wisdom, there's no chance of anyone stealing it from him?"  
  
Zelda's eyes narrowed. "There's a slight chance. If the person trying to steal it had absolutely immense power, it would be possible. But under normal circumstances, no, it can't be stolen from him."  
  
"What are the abnormal circumstances?"  
  
"Ganondorf's power alone wouldn't be able to do it. But, let's say he somehow combined his magical power with someone else's, perhaps doubling or even tripling it. Then he would have a good chance of taking it by sheer force. ...Of course, the chances of something like that happening are slim. I can't imagine anyone would be willing to aid him in that way."  
  
"Anyone with even a single functioning brain cell wouldn't be willing." The sorceress smiled. "I guess we can be thankful for that."  
  
As Lon Lon Ranch started to become visible over the next hill, the princess bit her lip. All this talk about the Triforce pieces was planting unnecessary worries in her head, and she immediately changed the subject to the first thing she could think of. ...Of course, she later regretted bringing it up at all.  
  
"So...," she said with a slightly teasing tone. "I heard you and Link were up late last night italking/i."  
  
Lydia suddenly stopped walking and stared at Zelda, who was grinning at her. After a few awkward seconds, she started walking again, her face twisted into an embarrassed grimace. "God. Gordon's mouth is iso/i damned huge."  
  
Zelda laughed. "I'm...happy for you."  
  
"...Yeah?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
The sorceress smiled, thinking about how warm her heart had felt during that time... about how warm it felt whenever she thought of him.  
  
"Did you expect it at all?" Zelda asked.  
  
Lydia opened her mouth to give some sort of a sarcastic answer, but stopped. After a moment of thought, she said, "You know, now that you mention it... I guess I've been expecting it for a long time. I'm really not as unobservant as people think I am. ...But even though I wasn't really surprised... I still kinda was."  
  
"I understand."  
  
They were silent for a few moments, until Zelda suddenly asked, "Do you feel the same way toward him?"  
  
The sorceress swallowed hard and her face turned red. "U-Uh...," She looked over at Zelda, who was smiling at her warmly, patiently waiting for the answer she knew would come. Lydia stared at her for a moment, and then her face softened uncharactaristically and she looked up toward the brilliant blue Hyrule sky.  
  
"Yes...," she said quietly, as if not wanting others to hear. "...I love him."  
  
"Did you tell him so?" the princess asked.  
  
Lydia was about to say yes, then suddenly remembered how she had reacted. "U-um," she stammered, a bit embarrassed. "I...don't think I actually said it. I... I kinda choked. You know, I was... I was... ...Hmm, I guess I don't have a good excuse."  
  
Zelda smiled again and bent down so that her beautiful Hylian face came completely free from the shadows of the hood. "You should tell him the moment you next see him."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"Come on now, promise me you will. Promise me."  
  
The princess was being so sweet - Lydia almost wanted to hug her. "...All right, Zelda. I promise."  
  
"Good," she replied. Almost immediately, her face disappeared most of the way again and she set her gaze back toward the ranch.  
  
Silence blanketed the two again for several minutes, and Lydia eventually noticed that most of it was flowing from the princess. The sorceress bent forward just a bit so that she could see Zelda's eyes under the hood. To her surprise, they were thoughtful and... very sad. It was the kind of look that a girl had for a while after getting turned down for a date with a guy she liked.  
  
As if getting hit by a bolt of lighting, Lydia suddenly made the connection and stopped dead in her tracks.  
  
Zelda continued another five or six steps before she realized that Lydia had stopped, and turned around to look at her. "...What's wrong?" she asked. The look on the sorceress's face was unusually sympathetic.  
  
"Zelda," she said finally, "...you..."  
  
"What?" the princess asked, trying to sound genuinely curious.  
  
"Link... You... You like him, too, don't you?"  
  
The princess felt as though she had been punched in the stomach. Had she been ithat/i obvious?! "W-What?!" she choked, trying to sound surprised, if not appalled. "Whatever gave you ithat/i idea?"  
  
Lydia's face only softened further as a result of the princess' poor acting. "Like I said earlier, I'm not as unobservant as some people think I am," she said, walking forward just far enough to stand at the princess' side again. "You like Link, and you're sad because I--"  
  
She stopped suddenly and her eyes fell toward the ground. The loose strands of hair that had worked themselves free of the ribbon did the same. "Oh, God."  
  
"...What?"  
  
Lydia looked like she wanted to cry. "I don't even ibelong/i in this world. If I hadn't come here, maybe you would have..." She swallowed hard. "I... I stole him from you. I..."  
  
Both of Zelda's hands suddenly shot forward and took a firm grip on Lydia shoulders, and then she gave her such a firm shake that the hood of the cloak fell down. "iNO/i," she declared very firmly, her small voice unusually strong. "Don't ever, iever/i say or even ithink/i such a thing again."  
  
The sorceress's eyes came back up and met Zelda's.  
  
"It's true," Zelda continued, letting go of Lydia's shoulders. "I do indeed hold Link close to my heart. ...However, as that is the case, I also find his happiness to be of extreme importance to me. And if there's one thing I know for certain, it's that he will be truly happy if he is with you. And that... That is good enough for me to be happy as well."  
  
Lydia smiled, wiping away at a tear that had managed to sneak past the barricade.  
  
"In return... You have to promise me that you'll take care of him. You have to promise that when you see him next, you'll tell him that you love him, and will always take care of him. ...Can you promise me all that?"  
  
More tears made their way out of home base as Lydia smiled and said, "Absolutely. I promise."  
  
Zelda reached forward and gathered Lydia up into a tight hug. "Thank you. ...Come on, don't cry anymore. It's not like you at all."  
  
The sorceress chuckled. "Heh. It's not, is it?" She pulled away from the princess a moment later and worked on wiping her face clean.  
  
The princess pointed toward the ranch. Her face, instead of thoughtful and sad like before, now looked genuinely and truly happy. "The ranch is just ahead there. Let's go!" Without waiting for Lydia to even respond, the princess bolted ahead laughing.  
  
Lydia pointed after her in a threatening way. "Oh-ho-HO! So it's a race you want? You're on, your royalness!!" She took off at a sprint. "I won't take it easy on you!"  
  
"Even that won't help you, slow-poke!" Zelda shouted back, staying just a few lengths ahead.  
  
The sorceress laughed as she ran, enjoying the sunlight beating down and the wind whipping through her hair and clothes. Today, she knew, she had gained a life-long friend in Princess Zelda. A treasure like that was worth the world many times over.  
  
---  
  
The peace and quiet of the farm was broken by the sound of a door slamming open as Malon practically iflew/i out of the house. Before the heavy wooden door had even finished vibrating from the blow, the farm girl was at Princess Zelda's side, clinging to her arm.  
  
"What in Nayru's name were you thinking, your highness?!" she half-shouted. "You shouldn't just ileave/i! I would have gladly escorted you to Kakariko! I know I can't do much against the likes of Ganondorf, but it's better than being ialone/i!"  
  
"Aaah, it's... all right," Lydia panted. "Nothing... happened. No harm... done."  
  
The exhausted girl looked up at Zelda, who was smiling down at her. Lydia was almost disgusted by how not-winded the princess was after that run. Here she was, bent over and gasping for breath, and Zelda looked as composed as ever.  
  
"I win," the princess said with a smirk.  
  
"Meh," Lydia grunted, continuing to gasp. "I will... always prefer... flying. It's so much... easier on the heart."  
  
"You're just out of shape. Once we defeat Ganondorf, we will work on getting you fit, all right?"  
  
"Aww... I ihate/i exercise."  
  
Malon smiled. "Thank you for walking her back."  
  
Lydia finally straightened up, strength starting to return to her lungs. "Not a problem. ...I'm glad I did."  
  
"As am I," Zelda said with a sweet smile.  
  
"...Right, then, I'm off," the sorceress declared after glancing at her watch. She raised a finger and pointed it at Zelda's nose. "Now, don't you leave by yourself again. Link will be right annoyed when he finds out you turned up in town this morning, but his head will explode or something if you do it again. Okay?"  
  
The princess chuckled. "Okay. Sorry again."  
  
As Lydia turned to leave, the princess suddenly called out to her. She turned her head to look back.  
  
Zelda was smiling. "Remember. ...Remember what you promised me."  
  
The sorceress smiled back. "Right. ...Thanks again, Zelda. For everything." She turned back around and bent her knees, her eyes focused up on the sky. "font color=9966FFbRay... Wing!!/b/font" She leapt upward and took flight back toward Kakariko, quickly leaving Lon Lon Ranch behind.  
  
Lydia stretched her hands way out to her sides and watched Kakariko get larger and larger on the horizon. As she flew toward the town, she started to think about all of that stuff Zelda had told her about the Triforce. She was the only one that had a chance of stealing the Triforce of Power from Ganondorf. That made her feel pretty important, and she smiled in spite of herself.  
  
iI can do it,/i she thought. iI know I can!/i  
  
Her gaze eventually wandered back toward the green grasses of Hyrule Field. Ah... the land looked so pretty from up here. She considered flying south so that she could see the lake from above, but was feeling a bit lazy at the moment and held her course, smiling as the wind whipped through her hair.  
  
As she watched the treetops pass underneath her, her eyes caught sight of something colorful underneath one of them. From this height, it looked like a bed of flowers or something. Curiousity getting the better of her, she bent forward and went into a dive. As she got closer, it became obvious that it wasn't flowers at all, but colorful red and orange clothing. The person inside those clothes was...  
  
Lydia gasped. It was Nabooru. She was slumped against the tree trunk, and even from flight, the girl could see that she was injured something awful. Without even giving herself a chance to think twice, she dove sharply, righting herself just before hitting the ground. She skidded several feet, kicking up dirt in her path, before coming to a stop just in front of the tree.  
  
She bounded over to where Nabooru sat and knelt down, shaking her gently. "Oh my God, what happened to you?? Are you all right?"  
  
As soon as her hands made contact with Nabooru's skin, Lydia suddenly realized that there was no presense of Ganondorf's magic. None whatsoever. Whatever was keeping a hold on her mind was completely gone now.  
  
Nabooru's eyes slowly and painfully opened, and she looked up at Lydia. "...No," she whispered. "...Don't..."  
  
The sorceress could barely hear her. "What?"  
  
"Get away... ...trap..."  
  
Lydia realized what was going on just a half-second too late. Before she could do anything to save herself, a large, strong hand grabbed the back of her neck and released magical electricity into her body. Lydia screamed as it pierced her again and again, and could feel herself blacking out. Fighting the pain and strong grip, she twisted her head just enough to see her attacker. Sure enough, Ganondorf was there, an evil smile of triumph on his face. The symbol for the Triforce of Power glowed on his bronze forehead.  
  
And then everything went black.  
  
*~*~*~  
  
Gordon suddenly felt an almost overwhelming wave of sickness come over him. The Triforce of Wisdom was stirring, but not in the way that it did when Link used the Triforce of Courage in battle. This was different, and it filled him with terrible feelings of dread.  
  
At the same time Gordon got this awful feeling, Link sat straight up in bed, his eyes wide, as if waking from a nightmare. His face twisted into a grimace. He was having the same terrible feeling of dread. The Triforce of Courage was reacting to something.  
  
The two boys looked at each other, and at the same time, half-shouted, "The Triforce of Power!'  
  
They stared at each other for another moment, until Link paused and looked around the room. "...Where's Lydia?" he asked worriedly.  
  
"She... Zelda showed up this morning and she wanted to walk her back...to the ranch..."  
  
"Ganondorf!" Link yelled in horror.  
  
Both boys instantly sprung into action. Link leapt from the bed, throwing the sheets to the floor, and started pulling his clothes on as quickly as he could. Gordon stood up so quickly that the chair he was in crashed to the floor, and hurriedly pulled his shoes on.  
  
"The guy's gotta be up to something," the sorcerer grunted. "And it's gotta involve Lydia."  
  
Link quickly tucked his braid into his hat and started to pull his boots on. "That's the only thing it can be. He naturally wouldn't attack her when we're together, so he waits until she's alone. Rrggh, damn it, damn it, I shouldn't have slept so late!!" He got to the Master Sword in a single stride and strapped it over his shoulder.  
  
"No!" Gordon slammed his fist into the wall. "It's my fault! I am such a god-damned iidiot!/i I can't believe I let her talk me into staying here!!"  
  
"It doesn't matter, it doesn't matter!" Link said truthfully, running for the door. "We can't waste time competing with each other for fault. She'd go alone no matter what ianyone/i said. Let's just hurry and find her before something happens!"  
  
The two boys practically flew out of the house, not bothering to shut the door behind them. Link frantically played Epona's Song on his ocarina as he ran. The horse met them at the Kakariko gates, and Link leapt into the saddle without slowing down the least bit. With a kick, Epona rocketed forward.  
  
"font color=0088FFbRay Wing!!/b/font" Gordon shouted, and caught up to Epona, flying alongside her, scanning the countryside for signs of life.  
  
It was several tense, frantic minutes before they saw anything. It was a dark, bent figure just over the next hill, staggering toward them. Whoever it was, he or she was injured. Link's heart leapt during that fleeting moment when he thought it was Lydia up ahead, but as his horse got closer, it became obvious that it was someone completely different. A few more seconds of high-speed cantering revealed dark skin and long red hair.  
  
Nabooru.  
  
Link yanked on Epona's mane hard to signal her to stop. The horse skidded to a stop, then reared up on her hind legs in protest. Gordon touched down right beside them and stared, perplexed, at the Gerudo woman, who was obviously injured in many places.  
  
Nabooru looked up, as if she had just now become aware of their presense, and oddly enough, looked irelieved/i to see them.  
  
"...By Farore," Link said before he could stop himself. "What happened to iyou/i?"  
  
The woman was about to reply, but fell to a knee instead. Gordon ran forward and gripped her shoulders to steady her. As he did so, he let out a short gasp. Ganondorf's mind-controlling magic... it was...  
  
The sorcerer twisted around and looked up at Link, who hadn't bothered to dismount yet. "Link," he said urgently. "Ganondorf's magic is completely gone! This woman's mind is her own again."  
  
Link blinked with surprise. Ganondorf no longer had a hold on this woman? Had she escaped? ...Or had he released her?  
  
Finally, the Gerudo spoke softly, "...The girl sorcerer is..."  
  
Gordon gasped again and looked at Nabooru. "What? Lydia? Where is she?!"  
  
Nabooru took a pained breath. "...Ganon...dorf..."  
  
Epona got a sharp kick in the sides and quickly moved forward so that Nabooru was completely in her shadow. Link, still holding tightly to the horse's mane, leaned down and looked the woman straight in the eye.  
  
"Where did they go?!" he shouted at her, panic rising in his voice. When she didn't answer right away, he only shouted louder. "WHERE DID THEY GO?!"  
  
"...D...Desert..."  
  
That was all he needed. "iHi-ya!!/i" Epona broke into a sprint toward the West, Link guiding her steadily. The Hylian heard Gordon shout his name, but he didn't care. He didn't care about anything but getting to the desert. He had to get to the desert inow/i if he had any chance of helping Lydia. As he rocketed across the Field, he kept seeing images of her in his head. She was smiling at him in each one. Her smile only made him drive Epona harder.  
  
Left behind, Gordon didn't wait around long enough for Link to completely disappear. Knowing he couldn't just leave Nabooru here, he draped her arm around his shoulders and stood up. He bent his knees and leapt toward the sky. "font color=0088FFbRay Wing!!/b/font" he bellowed, and was in flight again. He altered his course just slightly south, flying as fast as his magic would allow with two people, and then went into a sharp dive as he neared Lon Lon.  
  
As the sorcerer got closer to the ground, he could see two women on the ground. Malon and Zelda. They were talking about something. Malon looked up suddenly and pointed up at him, and Zelda followed her gaze.  
  
Gordon righted himself and slammed into the ground. As the two girls ran toward them, he lowered Nabooru to the ground, into Malon's waiting arms.  
  
"Take care of her," he shouted, straightening up again. "I gotta go!"  
  
"What's happening?!" Malon shouted at him before he could take off.  
  
"Ganondorf got Lydia. Link's already halfway to the desert and I've gotta catch up!"  
  
Zelda gasped loudly, horrified, and clapped her hands over her mouth. "N-No!" she shouted in disbelief.  
  
"Take care of Nabooru!" Gordon shouted again. "font color=0088FFbRay Wing!/b/font" With that, he was back in the air again, having not even waited for further reaction from either Malon or the princess. He bent backward and sharply changed direction once he was high enough, and started to fly straight west. He could ijust/i make out the shape of a horse and rider way ahead. He should have been able to catch up before Link got much farther, but even so, he put all of his energy into the flight, soaring through the sky faster than he ever had before.  
  
*~*~*~  
  
Lydia's head felt like it was going to explode. Stars danced in front of her eyes when she tried to open them. Her entire body refused to move. She couldn't even twitch a finger.  
  
Several minutes and a lot of mental effort helped her become more aware of her surroundings. She was in a slightly dark room. The walls and floor were made of a naturally-colored brick. The room itself was very large, but her immediate area was rather small - several feet ahead was a wall or iron bars. A prison of some sort? ...She soon found a door in the bars, which was open, oddly enough.  
  
Soon after that, she became more aware of herself. She was standing upright, more or less, hanging by her arms, which were secured to the wall at her back with thick chains and shackles.  
  
i...The hell...?/i  
  
Footsteps, quiet yet deafening, started to come closer. From... outside the room? They got closer and closer until a tall, dark figure appeared outside the wall of bars.  
  
"Ah. Awake, are you?" the deep-voiced man asked, showing himself into the prison.  
  
Ganondorf.  
  
Lydia sneered at him. It was the only thing she had the strength to do.  
  
The Evil King walked right up to her and bent down to her eye-level. "Welcome to Gerudo Fortress. ...A bit careless lately, huh?" he said. "You should know better than to wander around alone."  
  
...Those words had a bitter sting of irony to them for the girl.  
  
Ganondorf straightned up again. "Still, I must thank you for doing so - it sure made things easier for me. You're a kind person to take time out of your busy day to walk the Princess Zelda all the way back to that little ranch." Upon hearing Lydia's quiet gasp, he twisted around and grinned down at her. "Yes, yes, I know she's alive. She can stop pretending now. It hardly matters anymore. Now that I have you, she is no longer of any use to me. Just as Nabooru was no longer of use."  
  
"You bastard," Lydia grunted. "You used that poor woman as bait."  
  
"Yes, this is true... It seemed like the right thing to do. I mean, it wasn't like you were going to come to ime/i."  
  
The girl snarled at him. "Well, then... Now that you have me... Why haven't you killed me? What are you waiting for, old man?"  
  
Ganondorf laughed, entertained by her attitude. "Because I had a wild idea this morning," he replied finally. "Of course I wanted to kill off you, that other boy, and that incredibly annoying Kokiri boy. But then, I thought, why should iI/i kill them when -- you're going to love this -- when I can have iyou/i kill them?" He finished the sentence with a mischivous sneer. "It would be iso/i much more entertaining that way."  
  
Lydia stared at him in horror. She suddenly understood what he was going to do, and started to struggle against the chains that held her, no matter how futile it was. "You sick @#$%!! I'll kill you!!"  
  
"My my, such language," the man said. "It's hardly becoming of a lady. And...don't bother with those chains. It'll be a while before you're strong enough to break those." He raised his hand and started to go toward her head. "Here... Let me help you..."  
  
He grabbed hold of her forehead, gathered up all of his magical strength, and released it into her, directing it toward her brain. She whimpered in pain and tried her best to resist. What little resistance she could offer was still surprising to Ganondorf, who didn't expect that much from her in her current condition. But even so, it wasn't enough. He pushed forward, and little by little, his magic started to make cracks in Lydia's wall of resistance and began to seep in...  
  
The wall came down all at once, and the Evil King suddenly saw a wave of images from a time he had forgotten long before. He saw himself... A iyounger/i version of himself. He was standing in the desert somewhere. It was almost dusk... Sand blew all around him in the wind.  
  
He was facing straight ahead, glaring at two figures a ways in front of him, and they were glaring right back. One girl, and a taller boy. Their cloaks flapped in the wind as they stood firm, sizing Ganondorf up for some kind of battle. The images suddenly and unexpectedly zoomed in on the girl's face. It was wide and feminine, yet strong and determined. This girl bore a strong resemblance to the girl Lydia... The same eyes, same nose...  
  
Suddenly, Ganondorf remembered who she was.  
  
His concentration broke with his realization and he recoiled in shock, stumbling backward. Lydia remained hanging on the wall, panting as if someone was squeezing the life out of one of her lungs.  
  
Ganondorf's teeth ground together. He leapt forward and seized Lydia's shirt front.  
  
"So ithat's/i how it is, huh?" he growled at her. "I understand now. You're that same damn girl from that time. I killed her with my own hands, so you must be that girl reborn. No iwonder/i I hate you so bloody much - you're after my piece of the Triforce!" His free hand came up and grabbed hold of the girl's shirt collar. "And I'll bet that other small-eared kid holds the soul of the other one I killed back then. What an iinteresting/i turn of events this is! It's been more than seventeen years since that day, and those two istill/i continue to haunt me!!" His hand let go of the collar and started to go for her neck. "I should squeeze the life out of you right here and now before you can do any more damage!!"  
  
Suddenly, he stopped, let go, and stepped back. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes.  
  
"Calm down, calm down," he said, talking to himself. "This changes nothing. Just do what you were going to do... It's just going to be far more rewarding and satisfying than you imagined, that's all." He opened his eyes again and looked at Lydia, who was still panting heavily. "Now then... iMaya/i... Where were we?"  
  
His hand shot forward and once again grabbed Lydia's head. The magic came again, once again in full force. Lydia yelled in pain and continued to resist, but the magic started to overcome her. She started to lose control of her limbs... She could feel her mind slipping away. She tried to grab it, to pull it back, but it stayed just out of her reach.  
  
Before long, she had lost herself completely, and finally passed out.  
  
Ganondorf pulled away, quite satisfied with himself. It had been far trickier than it had been with Nabooru, but he had done it. Just as he was about to pat himself on the back, he suddenly felt the presense of the other two Triforce pieces, coming this way, and they were closing fast.  
  
"Looks like the players are on their way," he sneered. He stared at the unconscious girl, thinking hard for a moment. He sparked an idea that made him smile with delight. He reached down in his armor somewhere and withdrew a small dagger. He gently took a hold of Lydia's ponytail and held it straight out. He slid the dagger underneath, just a little below where Nabooru's ribbon was tied, and sliced it. The majority of the ponytail fluttered down to the stone floor, and the ribbon fell into Ganondorf's free hand. When he released what was left of Lydia's hair, it hung limply, a good two or three inches above her shoulders.  
  
He backed out of the prison, slammed the door, and locked it.  
  
The Evil King turned and ran from the room, the ribbon clutched in his hand.  
  
iLet the fun begin!/i  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
Link didn't ease up on Epona for a single moment. He just continued to push her and push her, and wouldn't stop pushing her until they were in the desert.  
  
The grass eventually thinned out and gave way to packed dirt as they closed in on Gerudo Valley. High walls rose up on both sides as he rode in farther. The path took a left turn, and the huge canyon opened up before him. It was a deep gorge, with a single bridge connecting one side to the other. A couple hundred feet below the bridge ran the Zora River on its long journey to Lake Hylia in the south.  
  
He had wandered this far once as a child and remembered it well. But on this second visit, something was different. The bridge had been cut, and was hanging limply against the sides of the canyon.  
  
A rational person would have stopped their horse and tried to find another way into the Gerudo territory, but Link was too angry and too worried about Lydia to be rational. He kicked Epona hard, and the horse charged toward the side of the canyon. Epona gathered up her strength and leapt out into the open air...  
  
Gordon was catching up at this point, and when he saw Link push Epona toward the gorge for a long jump, he thought was going to have a heart attack. As soon as the horse left the ground, the sorcerer dove out of the air as fast as he could, prepared to pull Link out of mid-air when the horse started to fall.  
  
But there was no need. Epona's hooves safely connected with the ground on the other side. The horse took a few steps to the side as she steadied herself, and then continued to rocket forward, her wild-eyed rider intent on the road ahead.  
  
Gordon heaved an aggrivated sigh and continued to dive downward. He leveled off right at Link's side.  
  
"Slow down!" he shouted at him.  
  
But Link seemed to be ignoring him.  
  
The sorcerer reached over and grabbed hold of Link's left ear and pulled hard. "I said slow down!!"  
  
The Hylian yelled in pain and leaned backward, pulling on Epona's mane. She took that as her cue to slow down, skidded to a stop, and stood there, her barrel chest heaving with exhaustion.  
  
Link reached up and clutched his ear protectively after Gordon released the death grip on it. "What the hell was that for?"  
  
Gordon touched down and dispelled his magic. "Didn't you say the Gerudos were Ganondorf's race? Surely they're under his command, one way or another. We can't just rush in there. We have to be stealthy. We certainly can't help Lydia if we get ourselves killed five feet in."  
  
Climbing down out of the saddle, Link sighed, feeling rather stupid. "Yeah... Sorry."  
  
"Come on, let's walk it from here. It can't be much farther."  
  
Leaving the horse behind, the two started walking farther into the canyon, neither saying much of anything. Gordon kept his eyes open, Link listened carefully for signs of life. The canyon curved right, and once they had passed the turn, something ahead of them on the path caused them to stop and stare.  
  
There was a large twig sticking out of the ground. It was iright/i in the middle of path, obviously imeant/i to be seen, not to mention that there weren't any trees out here. Tied to the end of this twig was a familiar-looking pink ribbon.  
  
Gordon swallowed. "Lydia...tied that in her hair...before she left earlier today..."  
  
Link gritted his teeth and walked forward. He bent over and yanked the twig out of the ground. He separated the ribbon from it and tossed the twig aside.  
  
"...She's still alive," he said confidently.  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"She's alive. Ganondorf wouldn't go to this kind of trouble if he hadn't left her alive. He iwants/i us to come after her."  
  
"A trap?"  
  
"Of course. But I don't care. I'm still going in there." He stared at the ribbon for another moment, and then suddenly unsheathed the Master Sword. He forced the blade down into the ground so that the sword would stand upright. Gordon watched as he carefully tied the ribbon around the sword's hilt at the base of the handle, much in the same way Lydia had tied it to her own sword before.  
  
"Heh," Gordon chuckled. "Lydia will get a kick out of that when she sees it."  
  
Link couldn't help but smirk. She really would, wouldn't she? ...She had tied the ribbon to her sword when she swore to save Nabooru from Ganondorf. And now, Link was tying it to his own sword, swearing to save Lydia from Ganondorf. It was the same situation. She really iwould/i like it.  
  
He yanked the sword back up and slid it back in its sheath. "I sure hope that when we find her - and we iwill/i - she's in good enough condition to appreciate it."  
  
Gordon continued to walk forward down the path. "She might think you've gone soft."  
  
"And what's wrong with being soft?" Link asked defensively as he fell into step beside the sorcerer.  
  
"Nothing, I guess. Lydia likes sensitive guys."  
  
"I'm soft, not sensitive."  
  
"They're the same thing."  
  
"Tch."  
  
It wasn't long before seriousness came over them again, and they went back to carefully watching their surroundings. The high walls of the valley continued to tower over them on both sides, making them feel uncomfortably closed in. The only life, it seemed, was the crow-like birds that occasionally flew overhead. They cawed at the boys in a vaguely mocking ha-ha-we're-up-here-and-you're-down-there kind of way.  
  
They were both very on edge - they could faintly feel the power of the Triforce of Power up ahead.  
  
Finally, the valley started to widen, and the path abruptly ended. The valley suddenly opened up into a large clearing. Straight ahead was a gate, blocking the way into the actual desert. To the right was a large brick structure of many doors and windows. It looked like it was arranged like a maze. On the ground in front of the structure, dark-skinned women in loose, colorful clothing patrolled set paths, armed with long spears.  
  
"Gerudo Fortress," Link whispered as the two stepped up behind a large rock.  
  
"This is where Ganondorf is?" the sorcerer asked, peering around the side of the rock.  
  
"I don't know about the man himself... but Lydia might be here."  
  
Gordon paused and looked at the large fortress. They had to find Lydia in there, iand/i be stealthy about it? It would be tricky...  
  
"We should split up," he said finally. "We'll find her faster that way."  
  
Link smiled. "With any luck, Lydia will have already beaten up everyone in there and is just waiting for us to pick her up."  
  
"That's the spirit."  
  
"I'll go this way, and you go that way."  
  
"Okay."  
  
"Be careful."  
  
With that, the two boys split off in seperate directions.  
  
----  
  
Gordon crept along, bent forward so far that he may as well have crawled, using whatever he could as cover. He snuck up behind a large boulder and pressed his back to it. The coldness of the rock penetrated his clothing and sent a chill up his spine.  
  
He glanced over to his left. He would once in a while catch a glimpse of green clothing as Link darted soundlessly from rock to rock. Link paused as a Gerudo guard went his way. Gordon feared she would see him, but she stopped, looked around, then turned around, going back the way she had come. Link took that opportunity. As the sorcerer watched, he paused for just a moment, then sprinted at full speed out from behind the rock.  
  
Gordon was amazed. You'd think that someone running that quickly while carrying all sorts of weapons would make some noise, but Link made none. He soundlessly glided over the sandy ground, all the while keeping one eye on the guard, and then disappeared through a door in the front of the fortress.  
  
The boy twisted his head as to peek around the other side of the rock he was hiding behind. There was another door on the far side, up against the cliff side. Another Gerudo woman was patrolling his side of the yard. A veil covered most of her face, showing only her eyes to the hot sun. They pierced the surrounding area, looking for signs of movement.  
  
Holding perfectly still, Gordon watched her come closer to his rock. The sun glinted off the metal blade of her weapon as she walked, once in a while catching him in the eyes. As she approached, he carefully slid along the rock to further hide himself from her view.  
  
Finally, she stopped, glanced around, then turned around and started walking the other way.  
  
iNow or never!/i  
  
Gordon knew he'd never be able to sprint for that door as quietly as Link had. He was too clumsy to silence his footsteps that much, even if the ground iwas/i soft and sandy. Instead, he crouched down, touching the ground with his hands, like an athlete preparing to run the 100m dash. When the boy was convinced that the guard was far enough away to - ihopefully/i - not notice him, he whispered words of magic as quietly as he could and lifted a few inches off the ground. Suddenly, he propelled himself forward through the air, staying close to the ground, making a break for that dark door on the side. As he got close, he risked a glance to the side. The guard had stopped, and was starting to turn around again...  
  
In a final burst of speed, his body moved up sideways against the cliff side and he ducked into the fortress. He ran along the inside wall for a few steps, then kicked himself off and landed on the stone floor, skidding to a stop. For several tense seconds, he was afraid to move. He stood there, holding his breath, listening to the footsteps of the guard outside. He knew like she was going to walk right into the hallway he was now in any second and was going to introduce him to the pointy end of her weapon.  
  
But then the footsteps stopped, and then started moving away again. Gordon carefully pressed himself up against the wall and edged over to the door. He slowly peeked outside and saw the guard moving away on her set path, apparently unaware of his presense.  
  
After thanking whatever deity that happened to be watching him at the moment, the boy turned and started creeping down the hallway, staying as silent as possible. As his eyes finally started adjusting to the inside darkness, it became obvious that the fortress was constructed completely of stone and brick of a sand color. Various decorations hung from the walls, animal skins and the like. It was very... deserty. There's really no better word for it.  
  
As he moved on, he began to start catching the smell of food - meat or something being prepared. It got stronger as he quietly turned a corner, and even made him feel a little hungry. He soon came upon a doorway and slowly peeked inside and surveyed the room.  
  
It looked like a huge kitchen. There were tables and stools scattered about, enough to seat a couple dozen people. Built into the right-hand wall was a huge fireplace that seemed to be doubling as a stove. A ihuge/i pot hung from an iron rod over the hot coals. Three or four people would probably be able to sit comfortably in that pot. The Gerudo must have been impatient when it came to their meals - no time to cook several batches, so they just cook for everyone at once. But the thing that caught Gordon's eye next was the wide door at the other side of the room, directly in front of him, that led down another hallway. In order to get there, he'd have to cross through the middle of the kitchen.  
  
The kitchen wasn't empty, however. From where he stood, Gordon could see three Gerudo women, armed to the teeth. One was tending to the pot, poking the contents with an overlarge spoon. Another was tapping her foot impatently, whining about how empty her stomach was. The third was leaning against a wall, glancing about the room and yawning from time to time - obviously a guard that was bored with guarding.  
  
There was absolutely ino/i way to get across the room without being seen by at least one of them, and Gordon knew this. He'd have to distract them somehow...  
  
Almost immediately, he remembered something Lydia had done to a campfire on a vacation they had gone on about four years earlier. Young Gordon had, of course, thought it was the coolest magic trick in the universe and wanted to know how to do it, so she had shown him, in return for his share of the marshmallows. It was a good thing he had been curious, because now seemed like a good time to put the trick to good use again.  
  
He whispered a spell under his breath, which was actually a compliation of two or three different spells that rendered a fairly harmless but visually dazzling effect when mixed in this way. The spell was actually one of Lydia's originals - she seemed to have a knack for getting unusual and interesting results from that spellbook of hers.  
  
After a moment, he had a ball of purple light cupped in his right hand. When he was certain that none of the women were looking right at him, he stepped partially out into the kitchen, threw the ball toward the fireplace, then ducked back into the hall and got ready to watch the show.  
  
The little ball of light hovered quietly across the room and disappeared into the hot coals under the pot. Nothing happened for several seconds, and Gordon began to worry that he had done it wrong. But then the red-glowing coals began to slowly dim, then brighten again, glowing a bright violet color. Suddenly, the fire burst up, sending the Gerudo cook running backward in a panic. The ball of bright purple flame encircled the enormous pot and filled the fireplace, sending light of a similar color all over the room, but no heat. It was a cool, harmless flame. The bizarre color and the heights the fire was reaching was the real sight.  
  
"Aaah!" the cook shrieked. "What witchcraft is this?!"  
  
"What the hell did you do?!" the guard yelled, running to the cook's side.  
  
"Hurry and put it out before the whole place goes up!" the third woman shouted.  
  
As the three Gerudos started to try to beat the flame out with whatever they could find, Gordon made tracks across the room, staying low and behind the tables, just in case one of them turned around. Before slipping through the door, he risked a glance at the fire. Its flames curled out of the fireplace and crawled up the wall as the women panicked, running all over the place, arguing over how to put it out. That would be quite a task. That spell would burn for at least an hour, and it would take magic to put it out before then, so they'd have their hands full for a while.  
  
With a smirk, the boy disappeared into the dark hallway and left the kitchen and the sounds of pandemonium behind.  
  
The hall continued for a while, then took a right turn. Farther ahead, there was a hallway branching off from his that went to the left. His hall also continued forward from there. He stood at the fork in the road for a few seconds before finally deciding to venture off down the left hallway.  
  
This new hallway was very dark. At least up until now there had been lanterns or a window here and there. There was nothing here. It felt like he was going into a prison or something - he felt very enclosed.  
  
Luckily, it wasn't long before he spotted a room up ahead. Before he could get close enough to even see how large this room was, a figure appeared in the darkness. It was a Gerudo woman, walking toward him while looking at the floor, seemingly bored. Another guard, maybe.  
  
Gordon's heart almost stopped - there was absolutely nowhere to hide in here. After making a split-second decision, he whispered a word of magic and leapt upward, then flattened himself against the ceiling and held as still as he could, hoping and praying that the guard would pass harmlessly underneath him.  
  
She walked on carelessly through the hallway, yawning loudly at one point. As she stood directly underneath where Gordon was clinging to the ceiling, a voice echoed down the hallway.  
  
"Where do you think you're going?"  
  
A second woman appeared, moving quickly to catch up with the first. "We're supposed to be guarding that girl, remember?"  
  
The first one looked at her as if she were insane. "Forget that. I've heard the rumors about this group. ...I sure don't want to be there when she comes around, do iyou/i?"  
  
"...Not really, but Ganondorf said--"  
  
"I don't care what he said - I don't want to be in the same room when that girl wakes up. Besides... it's almost time to eat. That's a good excuse to leave, isn't it? Let's go and see how they're doing in the kitchen."  
  
"Fine, fine. But if Ganondorf finds out, I'm saying it's iyour/i fault."  
  
As the guard finished her sentence, she threw her head backward, as if to stretch her neck. ...Of course, that also gave her full view of a person plastered to the ceiling. She gasped at the sight of it, which made the first woman look up, too.  
  
The three of them stared at each other for a second, then the Gerudos raised their weapons. Gordon threw his hand down toward them. "font color=0088FFbSleeping!/b/font" he shouted. A small ball of light hit the floor between the two Gerudo women and exploded. They both wavered lazily, then hit the floor, sleeping soundly.  
  
Gordon lowered himself down to the floor between them. "Geez," he said with a heavy sigh. "That was close." Of course, he guessed that the person these two were guarding was his sister, so he broke for that room they came from at a full run without wasting any more time. He ran right into the room without any reguard for what was there.  
  
This room was very dark. There was only one small window on the wall to his left which let a single column of light shine across the floor. There was no way out on the other side - this room was a dead-end.  
  
It was the right side that caught his attention. He immediately recognized the iron bars of prison cells. There were two cells on the wall, and the one closest to the door he was standing in was occupied. The boy moved closer and saw someone chained to the wall, unconscious. It was a person he didn't recognize at first. The glasses were the same... but the hair was much too short... His heart melted when he realized it was indeed his sister... but someone had hacked off even more of her hair, to the point where it was barely longer than his.  
  
Gordon went to work immediately. He pressed his hand against the prison door's lock and concentrated magic on it. After about thirty seconds later, the lock melted out of shape and the door swung free. The boy kicked it open and ran into the cell. Right away, he stopped. ...This cell absolutely ireeked/i of Ganondorf's magic. Maybe the man had done something to his sister.  
  
He braved the thick aura of evil magic and walked up to where his sister hung and moved to touch her. He said her name a couple times, trying to get a response. When nothing came, he gripped her shoulder, then immediately recoiled in shock, as if burned. The source of this evil aura was coming from her. It was exactly like when Ganondorf was controlling Nabooru, only...this was far worse.  
  
Suddenly realizing what was going on, Gordon started to back off. However, not soon enough. Even in the darkness, he could see a smile curling on Lydia's lips.  
  
"...You've come..." she whispered in a dark voice.  
  
She threw her head up and opened her eyes. They were a bright shade of red, glowing with dark energy - the eyes of a monster. With a grunt, she stood up straight and threw her arms forward, snapping the chains that held them as if they were made of paper. Before Gordon could even move, Lydia leapt forward with a scream of rage and grabbed him by the neck. She released dark magic into him immediately, dark magic even more powerful than Ganondorf's. Gordon could only hold onto consciousness for a few moments, but could feel the Triforce of Wisdom lurching in distress.  
  
Everything went black.  
  
----  
  
After making quick work of the yard, Link soundlessly snuck through the dark hallways of the Gerudo Fortress. He had already taken several turns and snuck past a few more guards and was feeling quite lost at this point. The place was like a maze. Since he had come in on the right side, he was trying to work his way to the left side. He only hoped Gordon had the sense to do the opposite.  
  
...Of course, he wasn't really sure what direction was what anymore... He was a bit turned around.  
  
At one point, he had found a flight of stairs leading up and had taken them. This had sent him through another set of hallways and had given him a couple more Gerudo guards, whom he had easily snuck past. Right now he was walking through a hallway that iseemed/i to be going north, but again, it was difficult to tell. As he walked, his sensitive nose began to pick up an aroma of food being prepared, but at the same time, his sensitive ears were picking up the sounds of shouting and panic.  
  
A large room suddenly opened up before him, ibelow/i him rather, and he crouched down to avoid being obvious. He found himself up on a platform near the ceiling with a ramp leading down into this new room on his left. This large room below him looked like a kitchen. There were tables and stools, enough for many people. There was a door on the left wall, and another on the right. In the wall straight ahead was a large fireplace... and the activity there was quite interesting. The large cooking pot was being consumed by a huge purple fireball, and several Gerudo were gathered there, running about. A few were throwing water on the purple fire, a few others were trying to beat it out with rolled-up blankets, and a couple others were just running around aimlessly, yelling a lot.  
  
Link smirked. iThat has "Gordon" written all over it,/i he thought as he quickly made his way down the ramp toward the lower floor. After taking one last glance at the entertaining scene, he ducked into the hallway and moved on, unwilling to waste any more time.  
  
This hall continued for a while before turning right. Even farther along, a second hallway branched off to the left while this one continued on. Link decided to keep going straight - he'd come back and look down that branch later.  
  
It wasn't long before he found himself in a large, open room. The only openings were a few windows on the left side, and another hallway on the opposite wall. Sunlight was visible down that way - it must have been an exit. On the right side of the room were several sets of iron bars - prison cells. One would expect a prison room to be fairly dark, but this one was brightly lit, for some reason, with torches lining the walls. It made it easy for Link to spot the four heavy-set Hylian men in one of the bigger cells. One of them, a large man with a rather ugly beard, was waving one of his ape-like arms at him, beckoning him closer. Annoyed at the distraction, but unwilling to just ignore them, he carefully made his way to the prison door.  
  
"Hey, you're a cute kid!" one of them said.  
  
"You were so nice to come here to rescue us!" the one behind him said, shoving his way to the front to get a better look.  
  
Link raised an eyebrow. He hadn't come here iintentionally,/i ...but they looked so relieved and thankful he couldn't bear to say so. "Who are you four and how did you get in here?" he asked, mostly out of curiosity rather than concern.  
  
The one that had called Link "cute" was first to speak. "We're the famous Kakariko carpenters!"  
  
The Hylian nodded slightly. He remembered them now. When he had visited Kakariko as a child, he had often seen these guys running around aimlessly when they were supposed to be building what would later become Kakariko Tavern. Not exactly role models... but they were good at what they did when they actually worked.  
  
The man that had been waving his arm when Link first came in spoke up. "Our Boss is so strict! He wanted us to rebuild that bridge the Gerudo women cut, but we took off instead, to join the group here. All the while, Boss was yelling about how he would fix the bridge himself, then. But these women are so mean! They locked us up in here just because we're men!  
  
"We don't want to join ithem/i anymore!" the fourth man said.  
  
"Okay, um...," Link began awkwardly. "...Would you be able to get out yourselves if I were to break down the cell door?"  
  
The man with the beard stared at him in amazement. "...You could do that? But you're so scrawny and weak-looking."  
  
Link balled his fists and cleared his throat in annoyance. "I icould/i just walk away, you know."  
  
"Sorry, sorry! Don't do that! ...Yeah, I think we could get out. There's an exit not far from here - it's where we came in."  
  
"Fine," Link said quietly. With that, he reached behind his shield, and produced the Megaton Hammer. The muscles in his arm fought with its weight as he swung it around to his front. He manuvered himself to the side of the door and prepared to swing right at the hinges.  
  
"...When you get back to Kakariko," he said, "you may want to take a look at that Tavern. ...It needs a little attention. Now stand back."  
  
The four large men ran to the farthest corner of the cell, tripping over each other all the way there. Once safely away, they turned and watched the boy sizing up the door, deciding what spot would be most effective to demolish. The man with the beard silently bet one of the other men five rupees that he wouldn't be able to knock the door down.  
  
Link's eyes wandered in their direction, momentarily insulted by the wager being made, then back to the door. He took a deep breath, gathered all of his strength, and sent the hammer flying at the hinges of the iron door as hard as he could.  
  
The iclang/i caused by the impact echoed all through the hallways of this side of Gerudo Fortress, and Link cringed as the sound echoed off the walls. But that sound was nothing compared to the crashing sound that went flying through the corridors as the door fell out of its frame and into the cell, sending up a cloud of dust.  
  
When the echoes finally faded and the dust settled, Link swung the hammer in a half-circle and tucked it back in with the rest of his equipment, and sighed. He couldn't help the proud smirk that crawled across his face as he watched the bearded man hand his friend a blue five-rupee piece.  
  
"Now get out of here," he said with a tired voice, "before someone comes."  
  
The group of carpenters started to move toward the destroyed door, but then stopped suddenly. One of them pointed behind Link.  
  
"Ooh, watch out!"  
  
Link swung around, teeth gritted, as a well-dressed Gerudo warrior dropped down out of her hiding place in the ceiling rafters. This one was clad in a loose outfit made of red silk, similar to Nabooru's outfit, quite different from the rest of the guards in this fortress, and was armed with two quite large curved swords. This was obviously some sort of officer or leader.  
  
And, from the looks of things, she wanted to cut him to ribbons.  
  
Amazed and annoyed that he hadn't noticed her presense, Link drew his own sword as the woman began to circle him. He circled as well and stared her straight in her angry eyes, waiting for her to make a move. Even with all of his concentration on the Gerudo woman, his ears still picked up the aggrivating sound of the bearded man betting his friend twenty rupees that he would lose.  
  
Just as he was considering saying something in an effort to defend his reputation, the woman lunged. One of the swords she had was flying toward Link's face, and he threw his head to the side just in time to save his left ear from getting sliced off. Nimbly, he rolled out of close range as the woman's swords chased him. In one motion, he was back on his feet, facing her in a defensive stance.  
  
The Gerudo stared at him for a moment, realizing that the normal tactics wouldn't work against such a quick opponent. She swiftly changed her stance, holding both arms out to her sides, leaving her torso wide open.  
  
Link wasn't sure what to do. Fighting monsters was one thing, but... How was he supposed to defeat her without hurting her too badly?  
  
Suddenly, the Gerudo charged. Her arms, which had been straight out, went straight up, came together, and brought the blades down toward her opponent's head. Link yelped in surprise of such a quick maneuver, but still managed to effortlessly backflip himself out of her range again, using one hand to propel himself away while the other kept a ready grip on the Master Sword at all times.  
  
The woman was downright angry now. Not once, but itwice/i, the boy had slipped away as if toying with her. She glared at him as he slowly back-stepped away from her, right toward a corner of the room. The Gerudo smirked as she saw her opportunity - if he was backed into that corner, those fancy gymnastics wouldn't be an option for him.  
  
Deciding to act before he moved again, she charged him, her swords at the ready. To her surprise, her opponent suddenly turned and sprinted right into the corner. Just as her swords were about to dig into his back, he sprung up and kicked off the wall on his left, then kicked off an even higher part of the wall on his right, and backflipped right over the Gerudo's head.  
  
Before she could even turn around to face him again, she felt the tip of his sword poking the back of her neck. Realizing that she was completely at his mercy now, she froze, standing in utter amazement of what she had just witnessed. She was one of the finest warriors in the Gerudo race, and she had just been bested... by a iman!/i She would feel shame if it weren't for the fact that she was completely dumbfounded by his grand swordsmanship.  
  
Link swallowed hard, holding the sword steady, waiting to see what the woman would do now. The sounds of whistling and cheers of congratulations from the carpenters reached his ears, as well as the bearded man's loud groan as he handed his friend a twenty-rupee piece.  
  
Finally, the Gerudo woman dropped her swords and held her hands up in the air.  
  
"You win. I give up," she said cooly.  
  
The Hylian carefully lowered his sword and stepped back. The woman turned around to face him, placing a sun-tanned hand on her hip.  
  
"That was quite magnificent swordsmanship. I'm very impressed. I used to think that all men were useless, but now that I've met you, I don't think so anymore." The woman finished that sentence with a smile curling on her lips. "My name is Nervani. I'm in temporary charge of this fortress until Nabooru returns. ...And judging by the look of you, you're the one Ganondorf is after, aren't you?"  
  
Link flinched. This woman was very perceptive. He was afraid to open his mouth, afraid he might say the wrong thing.  
  
Nervani smirked. "I guess I can expect your silence. That's fine." She paused momentarily and stared at Link with furrowed eyebrows, as if arguing with herself.   
  
"I've decided," she finally said, "to let you go. But I must warn you... This whole Fortress knows your description and is under strict orders to kill you on sight, so I cannot guarantee a safe escape for you. Under normal conditions, iI/i would still be trying to take your head off. ...But I'm so awed by your skill that I simply don't have the heart. I respect your abilities too much."  
  
She started to walk away, toward the hallway with the sunlight at the end. "Let's pretend this never happened," she said. "At least for now. ...So long, Sword Boy."  
  
With that, she broke into a swift run and disappeared down the corridor. Link stared after her for a moment, and then at the carpenters, who were in turn staring back at him in awe.  
  
"...Well?" he called over to them. "Get out of here before someone ielse/i happens down this way!"  
  
"Wow, man...," the bearded man said. "This kid got the approval of a iGerudo/i..."  
  
Stunned agreement radiated from the other three men.  
  
Link threw his hands up. "For the love of Nayru, go!"  
  
"O-Oh yeah!" one of the men shouted. All four of them poured out of the cell, tripping over each other, and teared down the corridor with the sunlight and were soon out of sight.  
  
The Hylian sighed loudly. Now that he had been so efficiently sidetracked, it was time to get back on task. He'd have to backtrack through this Fortress until he found Lydia. But where? This place was so big and confusing.  
  
His mental question was answered loudly, in the form of an explosion that rocked the whole Fortress. The walls and floor shook and Link fought to steady himself. The loud sound had come from the hallway behind him, and smoke was billowing from that fork in the corridor that he had passed by earlier. Whatever it was, that was definitely an explosion made by familiar magic, and he only knew two people who were capable of that.  
  
Just as he was about to take off in that direction, the Triforce of Courage lurched more horribly than it ever had before. Link dropped to his knees and clutched his chest with both hands as the pain seared repeatedly through his entire body. Something horrible was happening with one of the other pieces, something that was making the Triforce of Courage cry out in distress.  
  
When the pain finally subsided somewhat, Link found himself curled up on the cold stone floor. The smoke from the explosion was starting to waft into this room. Not even waiting for the pain to completely go away, Link sprung back to his feet and sprinted down the corridor. He reached the fork quickly and flung himself down it. The hallway got darker and darker as he ran, and his lungs burned from the smoke. At one point he fell over something and hit the floor hard. He turned to see two Gerudo guards collapsed on the floor. Too much in fear of what had happened to worry about them at the moment, he picked himself back up and continued his run to the source of the explosion.  
  
The hallway suddenly opened up into a large, dark room. Full of smoke, the room was damaged extensively - the walls and floor were cracked, and the right side of the room was littered with iron bars - the remains of prison cells.  
  
But what caught his attention was the figure sprawled in the middle of the room. Link made for it without even thinking and turned it over to face the ceiling. His heart skipped a beat when he recognized Gordon's face. He was more beat-up than Link had ever seen him. His face and body was bruised and dirty, and one of the lenses of his glasses had cracked.  
  
Most horrific of all, the mark of the Triforce was burning on his forehead. The Triforce of Wisdom, usually occupied, was empty and hollow.  
  
The Triforce of Wisdom had been stolen.  
  
As Link reached down to shake him, he stopped suddenly as he sensed another presense in the room. Just as he turned around, something tore through the air from somewhere near the ceiling and went straight for his head. Link flung himself sideways, and whatever it was hit the floor ahead of him, and rolled a few feet.  
  
Link stood to face his attacker. Whoever this was must be whoever attacked Gordon. As he stood in a fighting stance, the smoke around them started to clear. The thing was starting to stand up now - it was obviously a person. The person stood up, not completely straight - he was bent over slightly. He was also growling at Link like an animal, bearing his teeth and holding his slender hands as if to use his fingernails as claws.  
  
Wait... This wasn't a man. The hair was short, but the body was much too curvy. As the smoke cleared further, two glowing red eyes stared into Link's, chilling him to his soul. They stared at him from behind a pair of familiar-looking glasses.  
  
Link stared in disbelief. His heart sank to his knees, and he limply dropped his sword. The iclang/i seemed to echo for miles as time around him seemed to cease to move.  
  
iNo!! Impossible!/i  
  
Lydia continued to glare at him, hunched over and still growling. The mark of the Triforce was glowing on her forehead, the Triforce of Wisdom occupied. iShe/i had attacked Gordon and stolen it somehow. Her hair hung only a couple inches past her ears, the ends tattered, as if it was sloppily sliced by a knife.  
  
The Hylian stared back, his entire body trembling with emotion and refusing to move. iThis can't be happening!/i, his brain repeatedly shouted. But with those red, evil eyes, it was unmistakable. Ganondorf had taken control of Lydia's mind, just like he had with Nabooru.  
  
"...Lyd..." he said weakly.  
  
As if in response to her name, the sorceress sprang forward with an animalistic shout, her nails poised to claw his eyes out. Battle-hardened reflexes taking over before he could think, he bent down as she sailed over him. He caught her on his back and flipped her away. She effortlessly rolled away and regained her footing quickly in a feat of uncharactaristic agility.  
  
Link tried again. "Lydia, please...!"  
  
But she only continued to growl at him. She glared for a moment, then threw her hand at the wall behind her. A fireball appeared and careened into the cracked wall, causing another explosion to rock the Fortress. Sunlight poured into the room as an enormous hole opened up.  
  
Fighting to see through the fresh smoke, Link watched as the girl he cared for more than anything in the world cast him one last hateful glare before turning and flying through the hole and out of sight.  
  
The Hylian charged after her and stopped at the hole, shrieking her name. Squinting against the bright sunlight, he frantically looked in all directions.  
  
She was gone.  
  
After a moment, Link backed into the destroyed room again. He stood still for some time, then started punching and kicking what remained of the wall, furiously screaming every curse word he knew, not stopping even after his knuckles started to bleed.  
  
He probably would have let his anger carry on for some time longer if Gordon hadn't let out a loud groan of pain just then. Having momentarily forgotten him, Link retreived his sword, then returned to the sorcerer's side. He was still unconscious and was in serious need of some treatment.  
  
First things first. He had to get Gordon out of here.  
  
Link lifted Gordon up onto his back, ignoring his complaining muscles, and leapt through the hole Lydia had blasted through the wall. Being on the ground floor of the Fortress, his feet hit the sand immediately. Taking just a second to orient himself with where he was, he took off toward where he had left Epona.  
  
"Hey, that's him!" a woman's voice shouted.  
  
"The one the great Ganondorf wanted dead!" another voice followed.  
  
"Get him!"  
  
Link looked to the side in surprise, but did not stop. He had forgotten about the guards stationed outside, and there was no doubt that the explosions had attracted even more to this area. There were already several of them charging at him with their weapons aimed.  
  
The boy continued to run, only slightly slowed by Gordon's weight, until a Gerudo woman appeared out of nowhere and headed him off, blocking his escape. He was forced to stop, and defensively backed into a nearby wall, glaring in bitter defiance at his persuers. They formed a half-circle around him, the pointy ends of their weapons aimed at his torso.  
  
As his brain fought to find a way out of ithis/i one, the definite, bold sound of beating hoofprints suddenly started careening in their direction. Epona suddenly appeared, heading straight for them faster than Link had ever seen her run. Using her enormous head and thick neck, the horse threw guard after guard out of the way, clearing a path. Every time one of the Gerudo women tried to grab her reins, the horse would effortless knock the woman away with her strong chest or front legs.  
  
The horse fought and kicked until she had reached Link. She quickly bent over as far as she could, allowing Link to easily drape Gordon over her broad neck, then throw himself into the saddle.  
  
"Go, Epona!!" he shouted.  
  
Epona didn't even wait for him to finish his command before taking off, knocking more Gerudo women down as she ran. The horse ran the way she had come, back toward the Valley. Link kept one hand on the reins, the other on Gordon's back, to keep him from falling off.  
  
As they tore through the canyon, Link's ears caught the sound of persuing hoofbeats. He twisted around and saw a herd of Gerudo, following on their own mounts, bows at the ready. Arrows rained down all around them, and Epona ran even faster in response.  
  
Link kept his head low and concentrated on the path ahead. He had something to worry about other than arrows aimed at him. The bridge had been out last time he came this way. Would Epona be able to jump the gorge again, with the weight of itwo/i people on her back?  
  
The horse seemed determined enough, so Link kept on pushing her that way.  
  
Finally, the gorge came into view, and the sight there lifted Link's hopes a bit. The bridge had been repaired. He remembered one of those carpenters had mentioned that the Boss had threatened to fix it himself if they left. Apparently, he was true to his word.  
  
Thanking his lucky star, Link steered Epona toward the bridge. The horse started across it without hesitation.  
  
As they neared the other side, Link had another horrifying thought. If the bridge was fixed, his persuers could easily follow him into the Field and beyond. What ithen?!/i  
  
As Epona climbed up off the bridge and thundered through the sand on the other side, Link twisted around and watched the crowd of horses heading for the bridge. As they approached, Link's sharp eyes suddenly caught sight of some crossfire in the rain of arrows. As most were heading toward him, he saw a single arrow travel downward in a perpendicular direction from the rest. The rebel arrow sailed right through one of the two ropes holding the bridge up on the Gerudo side of the gorge. Immedately, another arrow followed, and sliced through the other rope. The bridge shook and started to swing away from the wall. The Gerudos yanked their horses to a stop at the edge and started yelling amongst each other, momentarily halting the assailment of arrows.  
  
Link took that extra moment to try to find the source of those two arrows that had cut the bridge ropes. Judging from the diagonal path they had taken, he followed it upward, and saw a solitary figure crouched on a high cliff, clutching a longbow. It was Nervani. She waved a slender arm at him, then turned and fled from the cliff edge to avoid being seen by her comrades.  
  
The Hylian couldn't help but smile before returning his gaze to the road ahead. That was truly a woman of honor.  
  
Just then, the assailment of arrows began again, and falling just short of Epona's hindquarters. The horse didn't stop, even until they were well into Hyrule Field and the angry shouts of the Gerudos could no longer be heard.  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
"So, basically what you're saying..." Link said in a very low voice. "Is that Ganondorf's power alone is not enough to steal a Triforce piece from someone to whom it rightly belongs, so he combined his powers with Lydia's, and manipulated her to attack Gordon and get the Triforce of Wisdom."  
  
"That...seems to be the case," Zelda replied sadly.  
  
They were in Malon's bedroom at Lon Lon Ranch. The room was lit by a solitary lantern - the only thing keeping the night away. The firelight danced across the walls, playing with the shadows. Gordon was tucked into the bed, still unconscious. Malon gently wiped the sweat from his forehead with a damp cloth.  
  
Nabooru was sitting on the floor, leaning against the wall, covered in bandages. She was awake and alert, but stayed very silent as she watched the others in the room.  
  
Link was seated in one of the chairs at the small table, his sword and shield abandoned by the window. He was staying quiet for the most part. What he had just said was the first time he had spoken in over an hour. He had just been quietly listening to Zelda's explainations of why Ganondorf would possibly need Lydia to get Triforce pieces for him. He sat there, with his arms crossed, stewing, becoming angrier with every passing minute.  
  
"And she'll..." the princess continued cautiously, "...probably come after you next."  
  
Link glanced over at Gordon's sleeping form. "...That's what I'm counting on," was his short reply.  
  
Silence blanketed the room again. Gordon groaned in pain once or twice, then calmed down again. Malon appeared to be quite concerned. She hadn't left his side since Link had carried him into the ranch.  
  
"First thing in the morning," Link declared, "I'm going out to look for her."  
  
Zelda's sad blue eyes looked over him, overflowing with pity. "...Link," she began. "I can understand a little of what you are feeling. But you mustn't rush out like that. After all... you have what Ganon wants, and Lydia will certainly come for it. There's no need to be rash."  
  
Link looked up at her suddenly and met her gaze. His eyes were unusually cold. "What do you suggest, then, your highness?"  
  
The princess couldn't help but flinch as his words cut through her. She knew he wasn't angry at iher/i, but his tone still had its effect. "...I suggest going to the Spirit Temple as planned and awakening the final Sage. Hopefully, Lydia will find you at some point. Once Gordon wakes up, I am certain he can heal his wounds, at least partially, with his magic, and can follow you later."  
  
The Hylian said nothing for several moments, but finally nodded. "I guess it would be what Lydia would want me to do. She'd yell at me for stalling if I did anything else..."  
  
Speaking for the first time since Link had arrived, Nabooru said, "Once I heal enough to stay on my feet for more than three minutes, I will also follow. ...I want to help in any way I possibly can. It is the least I can do."  
  
Link smiled at her with genuine appreciation. "Thank you."  
  
With that, he silently stood up and wandered over to the north-facing window. He picked his sword up off the floor and held it in front of himself, and gently began to twirl the pink ribbon around his finger as he gazed toward the dark, forboding castle in the distant north.  
  
i...I know your will is strong, Lyd,/i Link thought, iperhaps even stronger than mine. Just hang in there for a little while. As the hero of this story, it's my job to save you. And I will. I promise you that. Wait for me.../i 


	33. Chapter 30

*sigh*  
  
Well, I'll bet most of you have given up on me by this point. I feel so awful, making you all wait so long for even one chapter. Writer's block is a rotten thing. Plus that cursed school and work thing... Curse 'em, I say!! There are times in life when I wish I really COULD throw fireballs.  
  
And then there's that writer's block problem I have... Even when I DO have time to write, I'm usually plagued and mocked by my lack of ideas.  
  
But, luckily, there are times like...yesterday...when the ideas suddenly flow in all at once, and I stay up until 3 am typing.  
  
I know I'm starting to sound like a broken record, but I'm sorry to put you through this. Thanks for sticking with me.  
  
I'm sure this chapter will be to your satisfaction. ...I'm sure it'll be worth the long wait. *sly smile*  
  
Much love,  
  
Lydia  
  
P.S. Somebody asked me in the review section if I was the one that was drawing the Zelda Infinite comics. The answer is yes. It's just something I do for the folks at the boards. I hope you're enjoying them. I pretend to be able to draw, and they all pretend to be entertained, so it's a good relationship. *laughs*  
  
...You people should leave your e-mails if you're gonna ask me a question. How else am I supposed to answer, silly? ^_^  
  
*****For a better formatted, colored-text-in-some-places, the-HTML-actually-works version of this chapter, please cruise over to http://www.zelda-infinite.com to read it. It's under my GR name.*****  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
bWorlds Apart  
  
Part II  
  
By Miss Lydia/Goddess Rinoa  
  
Chapter 30/b  
  
Link sighed impatiently as he silently finger-drummed on the windowsill, glaring at the eastern horizon in a threatening way. He had promised Zelda that he wouldn't leave until at ileast/i sunrise, but that sun just didn't seem to want to rise on this particular morning. The lingering darkness mocked him. Instead of making himself useful in any way while he waited, he just sat there in the chair by the window and continued to stare at the horizon, silently saying to the sun, "If you don't rise soon, I'm gonna come over there and imake/i you rise."  
  
When finally convinced that the sun was ignoring his threats, the exhausted Hylian, who hadn't slept a wink all night, glanced around the upstairs bedroom of Lon Lon Ranch. Princess Zelda had fallen asleep at the table, using her arm as a pillow. Nabooru had slumped down to the floor at some point and fallen asleep. Malon had stayed awake longer, but had eventually stretched across the foot of the bed Gordon was resting in and dozed off.  
  
When Link caught sight of Gordon's broken glasses resting on the bedside table, thoughts of the events of the day before yet again entered his mind. They had been coming and going all night. Most of all, he remembered the hateful way Lydia had glared at him with those red, possessed eyes, and how awful he had felt when he could do nothing for her. He knew her soul - the soul of the girl he had known all this time - was still in there somewhere, in torment over what was happening to her. He wanted nothing more than to take that pain away from her.  
  
He wondered where she was...what she was doing right now.  
  
He took another large bite out of the loaf of bread that he was passing off as his breakfast. He glanced down at it, and another wave of depresson swept over him. What was the fun of eating a meal when Lydia wasn't there to constantly demand her share of it?  
  
With a sigh, the boy's gaze once again landed on the eastern horizon, and he continued to wait.  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
Link wasn't the only one watching the eastern horizon that morning. Ganondorf stood in his tower, as he always did, leaning against the window frame. He had his thick, muscular arms crossed and the expression on his face showed he was in deep thought. His actions the day before had been completely successful. He glanced over at his prize.  
  
Standing at another window, not looking outside but rather at her own reflection, was Lydia. Her red eyes stared ahead at herself, and her hand, every once in a while, went up and twirled the ends of her recently shortened hair. Every time her fingertips touched the butchered hair, her mouth curled with annoyance.  
  
"Hey," she said finally. "Can I ask a question?"  
  
The Evil King turned to face her, but said nothing.  
  
Lydia also turned, and her red eyes stared right into Ganondorf's. "Did you ihave/i to cut my hair? I liked it just as it was."  
  
Ganondorf chuckled, looked out the window, and said, "Now that I think about it, I guess it wasn't really fair to you. But Maya had long, beautiful hair. It was sort of her pride and joy. So, naturally, I wanted nothing more than to slice it all off." He smirked and looked back at Lydia, who continued to glare in his direction. "I didn't really get the chance with her, since I killed her too quickly. I guess I saw another chance in you."  
  
"Gee, ithanks/i," Lydia grunted, and turned to lean her back against the cold wall. "How insensitive and obsessive of you."  
  
"...Most of my underlings wouldn't dare use that tone with me," Ganondorf said darkly.  
  
"I'm not one of your little 'underlings'." Lydia shot back instantly. "Make no mistake. My power rivals yours, and I know you know it. I only help you because it's beneficial to me. I want the Triforce just as much as you do." She flipped her bangs aside, and the mark of the Triforce of Wisdom - which had yet to fade completely, flickered slightly. "If you tell me to go and kill off that Hylian boy with the Triforce of Courage, then I'll do it. ...Of course, I'll probably take his Triforce piece for imyself/i. After that, who knows? I just might come after iyou/i."  
  
"That's enough out of you, witch!" he shouted. "You're working for ime/i!!"  
  
The sorceress yawned loudly, as mockingly as she could.  
  
Ganondorf trembled with anger, then took a deep breath and rested his cool hand on his forehead. "Calm down... calm down..." After several silent moments, he swallowed his pride.  
  
"All right," he said, "I have a task for you today."  
  
"Joy," the girl replied, turning to him again. "And what would that be?"  
  
The Evil King's eye twitched. "Today, that Link is going to travel through the desert to the Spirit Temple and attempt to awaken the final sage. I want you to meet him there. Then, I want you to bring him here."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"...Because I want to ikill/i him, you stupid girl."  
  
"I could just kill him outright and be done with it. Save myself a trip."  
  
"But I don't itrust/i you. You're a scheming little thing."  
  
"All right, all right, old man. I'll bring him here, if it'll make you happy."  
  
Ganondorf closed his eyes, to keep himself from attacking in anger. Even under his power, she could be ithis/i defiant? "...The sun will rise soon. You should leave now if you're to beat him there. There's an anti-magic barrier hovering in the sky around this tower, but you should be immune to it now."  
  
"Right then. I'll be going now... imy Lord/i..." The sorceress stepped away from the window several paces, then swirled around to face it. "font color=9966FFbDamu Brass!!/b/font"   
  
Ganondorf jumped away as a ball of red light shot from her hands and blasted not only the window, but some of the surrounding wall, out of existance. With another word of magic, the girl had taken flight and was sailing out throught the hole. The Evil King ran to the gaping hole and shook a fist in the air. "This castle has idoors/i, you know!!" he screamed after her.  
  
Angrily, he swirled around and pressed his back to some of the remaining wall, and pulled at his hair, snarling like an animal. "That...little... whelp!" He released his hair and threw his fists into the wall, then closed his eyes and drew in a deep breath. "...This is only temporary," he told himself. "Just bear with it... It'll all be worth it... Patience is a virtue..." Although, if she kept up ithat/i kind of behavior, maiming would become a virtue as well in the Evil King's eyes.  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
After too long, a single ray of sunlight finally worked up the courage to poke itself up over the horizon and stretch across the dark sky.  
  
"Close enough," Link whispered to himself, and promptly rose from his chair. He silently moved around the room, gathering up his gear. As he strapped the Master Sword to his back, a tired, raspy voice spoke.  
  
"Leaving already?"  
  
Link, a bit startled, turned to find the source. It was Gordon. His eyes were open and he was smiling at the Hylian. Link couldn't help but return the smile as he walked over to the bed.  
  
"I can't believe you're awake already. How do you feel?"  
  
"...A bit beaten up."  
  
"Do you think you'll be able to move soon?"  
  
"Not sure. Magical damage is a bit different than just getting kicked around."  
  
Link was silent for a moment. "...So you remember what happened?" he asked. "You know what happened to her?"  
  
Gordon looked up at the ceiling. "It was ipretty/i obvious." His bangs fell to the side, exposing his forehead. The Triforce mark with the empty Triforce of Wisdom had faded completely during the night.  
  
The Hylian clenched his fists and stared directly at the floor. How could he let something like this happen? ...If she was of her right mind, what would Lydia say about it?  
  
The sorcerer saw the look on his face, and promptly reached over and grabbed his hand. "Hey hey hey, come on. Don't be so upset about it."  
  
Link looked at him as if he were delusional. Maybe he had a fever.  
  
"Think about it," Gordon continued. "I'm alive. What does that tell you?"  
  
"...Um... You're damn lucky?"  
  
"Had she been one hundred percent under Ganondorf's control, I'm sure she would have killed me without a second thought. But she ididn't/i. She stopped herself just enough. ...We still have a chance of fixing this."  
  
"...Yeah, I guess." He still didn't sound very convinced.  
  
"...Where are you off to?"  
  
"Since Lydia will probably come and find ime/i, I'm going to get started at the Spirit Temple. Maybe she'll appear."  
  
"And if she does?"  
  
Link was silent for a moment, then admitted, "...I don't know."  
  
Gordon let go of Link's hand. "You go. I'll probably catch up soon."  
  
As Link turned to leave, the sorcerer added one thing. "...Just be careful. She may still have the Triforce of Wisdom."  
  
Link nodded, then quietly slipped from the room.  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
The sun was about halfway up now. The worn wooden door of the ranch house creaked open and Link stepped out into the young sunlight. After taking a moment for a good stretch, he walked across the path and into the stable. Epona was standing in the corner stall, obviously eagar to get out. It wasn't often that she was penned. As soon as Link entered the stables, Epona raised her head and stared at him. She lowered her head again, grabbed a mouthful of hay from the ground, and stretched her muscular neck out over the gate toward him.  
  
Link smiled sweetly. "Thanks, Epona," he said, "but I already ate, I'm afraid."  
  
The majestic horse stared at him for another moment, then began chewing on the hay.  
  
The Hylian reached up and started to rub her nose. Epona hummed contently. "I didn't really get the chance to thank you yesterday," Link told her. "Charging into that armed mob of Gerudo and cutting a path... it was fabulous."  
  
The horse threw her head back and shook her mane proudly.  
  
Link unlocked the gate and let himself in, then proceeded to strap the saddle onto Epona's back. "Actually, we have to go back there today. Hopefully, this time, we can slip by without trouble." Taking a gentle hold of the reins, he led Epona out of the stables and into the sunlight.  
  
Once outside, the horse immediately jerked the reins out of Link's hand and charged a few lengths ahead. She neighed loudly and jumped about, kicking her legs, happy to be out of that crammed stall. She didn't stop until Link grabbed her reins again and yanked her head down. He stared her right in the eye. "Don't make so much noise! You're gonna wake-- Hey, don't you look at me like that."  
  
The horse playfully hit him in the torso a couple of times, almost knocking him over. Link righted himself and gave her head a playful shove. "Quit it. Behave yourself." He agily swung himself up into the saddle. "You're like a child sometimes."  
  
Epona twisted her neck around and looked at him with those big brown eyes.  
  
Link sighed, then reached forward and started to scratch behind one of her ears. "Hey, I know you're just trying to cheer me up. But you have to understand that I'm really eager to get going today." He smiled. "Okay?"  
  
The horse stared for another moment, then flared her nostrils once, stamped a foot, and turned her gaze forward.  
  
Link patted her neck. "Good girl. Let's get going!"  
  
With a strike of the whip, Epona charged off, kicking up dust and dirt as she sprinted down the path and out of Lon Lon Ranch.  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
Nervani yawned loudly and stretched out in her chair. She stared at her breakfast dully, poking at it with her fork. The dining room was absolutely buzzing this morning. At least half of the population of the Fortress was eating here today, all talking with each other about the events of the day before. As Nervani listened, she heard broken parts of the story from several different clusters of women. Very little of it was related to the truth - parts of the story had been exaggerated, ranging anywhere from how the sorceress girl was part demon to how that Hylian boy had escaped only because he was eleven feet tall and had arms like tree trunks.  
  
Finally deciding that she wasn't hungry, Nervani abandoned her breakfast and started wandering through the brightly-lit corridors, eventually deciding to go outside and get some fresh air. As she walked, she remembered the events of the day before. Ganondorf had brought an unconscious girl to the Fortress and had given strict instructions - she was to be left alone, and if anyone came for her, they were to be killed. They were supposed to be especially watchful for a boy with similarly small ears and a Hylian dressed in green. ...Sure enough, those two had shown up. Nervani only had the pleasure of meeting and clashing swords with the Hylian, but she heard that the other boy had been attacked by the sorceress before she escaped the Fortress so violently.  
  
Nervani had been returning to her quarters when she had heard the commotion outside, caused by that same Hylian as he tried to escape with his injured friend. Having known that the bridge had been repaired, she grabbed her longbow and got a head start, travelling high on the cliffs to avoid being seen. She reached the ravine just as the Hylian was crossing on horseback. A couple well-aimed arrows had cut the bridge ropes, allowing him to get away without pursuit.  
  
She still didn't completely understand why she had so readily helped him like that. But at the same time, she didn't regret it.  
  
That wasn't the end of it, either. That morning, just before she had gone to the dining room for breakfast, Nervani had happened to glance out the window at just the right time to see the sorceress girl from the day before fly overhead, toward the desert. Normally, her duties to require her to report this to the rest of the women in the Fortress, and possibly to Ganondorf as well... but Nervani decided to pretend she hadn't seen anything.  
  
As she stepped out into the morning air, Nervani started to wonder what Ganondorf had wanted with that girl. ...She started to wonder why the hell he was going the things he was doing nowadays. He seemed so misguided, as if he had lost all sanity somewhere down the road. Maybe that was why she was disobeying orders - Ganondorf's strange behavior was making her feel rebellious.  
  
The Gerudo's eyes wandered until they fell upon the gate to the desert. It was a great wooden gate that blocked the path to the desert, which was the doorway to the sacred Spirit Temple. The gate was abandoned, as entry to the desert was usually forbidden. But this morning, it wasn't. Standing there, pawing at the ground impatiently, was the same horse from yesterday. And staring intently through the holes in the gate was that same sword-weilding Hylian.  
  
Nervani's mouth hung open for a moment, unable to believe that this boy had wandered back here iwillingly/i. Deciding that she'd try to redeem herself for yesterday's defeat, just for fun, she turned around and climbed some vines that hung down the side of the Fortress, then made her way as silently as possible across the roof and onto the clifftop, following it until she reached the gate. She slowly and carefully slid her scimitar from her belt sash, took a breath, then leapt down onto the path.  
  
The horse was startled and reared up on her back legs as Nevani landed on the dirt path and prepared to duel. But to her surprise, her opponent had completely disappeared. She looked side to side, but there was no sign of him. Where could he have...?  
  
Just as she asked herself that very question, she felt the cool tip of a blade press into her bare back.  
  
"Don't move," a male voice warned.  
  
Nervani smiled and shook her head, and raised her arms in surrender. "Once again, I'm at a loss, Sword Boy." She turned her head to look at him.  
  
The Hylian stared at her for a moment, then retracted his sword and quickly sheathed it. "Sorry, I didn't recognize you."  
  
Nervani slid her sword back through her sash. "That's another score for you. I'll catch you off guard one of these days."  
  
Link smiled. "Not in a hundred years."  
  
"What are you idoing/i here? I thought after yesterday you'd never come back here."  
  
"Actually," Link said, lowering his voice and looking through the gate again, "I have business in the Spirit Temple."  
  
Nervani nodded. "I see. It's about that girl from yesterday, right?"  
  
Link suddenly looked at her. "Have...Have you seen her?" he asked eagerly.  
  
"...So, she's not the reason you're going? Um... Yes, I saw her just this morning. She flew overhead, and then into the desert."  
  
The Hylian gazed west again with hardened eyes. "I iknew/i it."  
  
"You can probably catch her if you hurry."  
  
Link looked at Nervani intently. "Can you get this gate open for me?"  
  
Nervani raised her hands. "Oh, heavens, no. This path to the desert is supposed to be completely sealed, as per Ganondorf's orders. If I open the gates, it'll be painfully obvious that I'm being rebellious and may have my fingernails torn off. BUT!" Nervani patted Link's left shoulder heartily. "There's a sneakier way. ...But you'll have to leave the horse behind. Horses don't do very well in the desert."  
  
Link gazed over at Epona, who was scanning the ground, looking for grass. "I'm...not sure I should--"  
  
"No worries," Nervani interrupted. "I'll make sure she's taken care of."  
  
"Actually... Could you just make sure she gets back to the Field? She can get herself home from there."  
  
Nervani raised her finger and pointed right at Link's nose. "Only if you promise to give me a rematch sometime."  
  
"All right, you're on," Link said, momentarily amazed by how many personality similarities this woman shared with Lydia. "...Of course, you ido/i know that I'll win anyway, right?"  
  
"Not if I have any say." Nervani then pointed behind Link, toward a ladder that was resting against the right-side stone reenforcement of the desert gate, then started over there. "C'mon, this way."  
  
Nervani started to climb without hesitation, and Link followed, being careful to keep his eyes on his own hands, so he wouldn't embarrass himself. Nervani's full figure was... a little more noticeable from this angle.  
  
After they reached the top without embarrassing incident, Nervani wandered to the railing overlooking the desert, then reached somewhere out of sight on her person and produced a coiled rope.  
  
Link, a bit bewildered, looked the scantily-clad Gerudo up and down. "Where were you ikeeping/i that?!"  
  
Nervani punched him in the shoulder as hard as she could, then tied one end of the rope to the railing, and let the rest of it fall over the side. It was long enough to almost touch the ground on the other side of the gate. "I'll leave this here, so you can get back up. Nobody comes up here, so it probably won't be bothered."  
  
"Thanks," Link said as he swung himself over the railing. "I really appreciate this."  
  
"Hang on, hang on, there's something you should know about the desert. There are two tests on the way. The first is to cross the river of quicksand. After that, follow the posts we've placed. Then the second test - you must be led by an invisible guide, only visible through the...Eye of Truth or something." Nervani sighed and shrugged her shoulders. "I'm afraid it's rather vague, but you can handle it, right?"  
  
Link smiled confidently. "I'm sure I'll manage."  
  
"Okay, then!" she said, giving him another pat on the shoulder. "Stay out of trouble, Sword Boy."  
  
After getting a good grip on the well-made rope, Link replied, "Can't guarantee that." Without further words, he quickly slipped down the length of the rope to the sands below. When he looked up again, Nervani had disappeared.  
  
As he turned and walked away from the wooden and stone gate, toward the desert that expanded out infinitely in front of him, he had passing thoughts of how well Nervani and Lydia would get along. They were the same in so many ways.  
  
He immediately remembered that if Lydia had actually been there, she would have screamed at him for not focusing on what he was supposed to do. Keeping that in mind, he pushed all other thoughts away, glued his eyes on the forboding desert, and started in.  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
After several minutes of walking in what he ihoped/i was a straight line, the scenery - sand, sand, sand, and a little bit of dirt - hadn't changed. The wind was blowing fiercely, forcing Link to keep his arm up over his eyes constantly, and that still didn't protect them completely from the continuous bombardment of blowing sand. His boots sank into the dunes with every step - it took a lot of physical effort to move. The Hylian was already half exhausted.  
  
Just as he was considering taking a short break, he caught sight of something up ahead. It was a...wooden crate? What was something like ithat/i doing out here?  
  
As soon as he reached the crate, he pulled himself up onto it, to escape the constant pull of the sand for but a minute. While he rested his tired legs, he couldn't help but notice the river of moving sand that stretched out before him, just a few yards past where the crate was half-buried in the sand. This had to be the river of quicksand Nevari had mentioned. It was one of the strangest natural occurances Link had ever seen... if it even iwas/i natural. He looked down the length of the river that he could see, but saw no way to cross it.  
  
He realized how much he had taken the sorcerers' flight magic for granted.  
  
Just then, his sharp, somewhat sand-filled eyes caught sight of something red flapping in the distance, across the river. It was some kind of flag, on a thick, short wooden pole. At the flag's base was another wooden crate like the one he had parked himself upon. Then Link realized that this river wasn't as wide as it seemed to be. His Longshot might, just imight/i, be able to reach the other side. He forced himself to stand and fumbled around under his shield for where his Longshot was stored. When he found it, he took aim as best as he could as the sand continued to get in his eyes and blow his hair in all directions.  
  
"C'mon, c'mon..." he whispered under his breath, then let the chain go.  
  
With a ithunk/i, the end of the chain took a hold within the wood of the opposite crate, and with a flick of the wrist, Link was sailing over the river of sand. Since it was so hard to see, he couldn't find a place to plant his feet for a smooth landing, and ended up going right over the crate and rolling several feet before stopping. After muttering a curse word, he crawled back to the crate, gathered up the Longshot, and put it away.  
  
Link stood up and looked around, wondering where to go next. Everything looked so incredibly the same, save of course for the red flag next to him. Then he noticed another flag a little farther into the desert. He remembered what Nervani had said - after the river of sand, follow the flags. Leaving the river behind, he ventered out into the open again, wading through the sand, fighting the fierce winds. After what seemed like a longer time than it actually was, he finally laid his hands on the wooden pole of the flag, and started looking around for the next one. As soon as he caught sight of a flicker of red, he continued on.  
  
This continued for quite a while. Link wandered from flag to flag at least fifteen times, and in no straight line, either. The placement of the flags felt very random to him. That was, of course, partially due to the disorientation of wandering around in this place. He was getting extremely tired, and was doubting that he could go much farther. And yet something new refused to appear. Link began to worry that nothing was going to change - that he'd be wandering out in this desert following a false path that went in circles until he starved to death.  
  
But thankfully, something large suddenly appeared up ahead. It was a brick building, barely a story high, with a stone path winding up and around it. It looked like a large stepping stone.  
  
When Link pulled himself out of the sand and set foot on the stone, he stopped to rest against the north side of the building, which was blocking the wind. He picked sand out of his ears and shook it out of his hair and clothes. What a lousy place this was. He hoped the temple wasn't too much farther away.  
  
After only less than five minutes, Link stood up again. He would have rested longer if thoughts of Lydia hadn't plagued him. He kept imaging her standing over him, calling him lazy, pushing him to continue on. Right after that, he would always see that angry glare with those red, possessed eyes.  
  
He had to get to the temple inow/i.  
  
Deciding he needed a better view of the surroundings, he walked up the pathway that wound up to the top of the building, once again getting attacked by the blowing sand. As soon as he set foot on the roof, he stiffened slightly and his hand shot up to the hilt of his sword reflexively. He could hear something - much like the familiar sound of a Poe hovering around. But he couldn't see anything. There was just the sound.  
  
Then he noticed the plaque on the roof, on the north side. It had some kind of writing on it, and he cautiously walked closer to see it. It looked like old Hylian. It said something like "One with the Eye of Truth shall be guided into the Spirit Temple by an inviting ghost.".  
  
So that's what Nevari meant by the 'invisible guide'.  
  
Still keeping one hand on his sword, Link reached into his tunic and pulled out the Lens of Truth. As he gazed through it, the source of the sound was revealed. It was indeed a Poe. As soon as it realized it had been seen, it started moving away quickly. Suddenly, a whispy voice spoke.  
  
"iI'll be your guide on your way, but coming back, I won't play! I'll show you the way to go, so follow me and don't be slow!/i"  
  
Without hesitating, Link ran foward and leapt from the roof, softly landing in the sand below. Forcing his legs to move, he chased the Poe. It continued to fly away, changing direction abruptly on several occasions, almost causing Link to lose his balance. The Poe led him through the sands, seemingly aimlessly, for several minutes. Eventually, it suddenly stopped, turned around, and sped back exactly the way it had come, following its own path. Link would have followed if he hadn't seen the two Gerudo flags side by side just past where the Poe had stopped and turned around. This must be where he needed to go. Without turning back, he ran past the flags and continued ahead.  
  
The wind slowed, and eventually stopped, making the sun visable once again. Before he knew it, Link found himself standing at the mouth of a ihuge/i clearing, surrounded by stone and sandy walls. There were huge rocks, a small oasis on one side, and one of those Triforce platforms that had become oh-so familiar by this point sitting in the sand over on the north side. South of the platform was a huge trilithon - two enormous stones standing vertically, with a third sitting on top horizontally. Behind the trilithon was an absolutely enormous building constructed of brick and sand. Link squinted from the sun, gazing at the mountainous structure at the other end of this wide area. There was an interesting carving in the front of it, in the shape of a woman. Below her was a large open door.  
  
The Spirit Temple.  
  
Feeling confident, having survived that awful desert, Link sprinted forward toward the Temple, determined not to waste any more time. He hadn't gotten very far when his sixth sense warned him of something, and he jumped to the side as a green...thing...about a foot high, with spikes sticking out of it, dug itself up into the open air, and started charging after him. Not exactly seeing the fun in that thing digging into his leg, Link charged away from it in a tangent direction, and the green thing sailed past him and eventually burrowed back into the ground.  
  
Before he could even think he had lost it, Link heard another one come up nearby, and had to change direction again to avoid it. Before that one had even burrowed down again, a third came up, then a fourth and fifth. Several came up in front of him as well. Link quickly realized that he was relatively surrounded. Now, obviously, these things weren't capable of killing him or anything. But if they all came at him at once, as they were obviously planning to do, judging by their movements, it sure would hurt like hell.  
  
Not exactly in the mood to waste time with these things, Link simply stopped and waited. Within a matter of seconds after he stopped running, the little green things and their spikes all charged and closed in quickly. Before they could throw themselves into their target in a kamikaze fashion, he swung his arm up and around, then hit the ground hard, releasing Din's Fire. The dome of flames expanded and blew all the little green monsters away. By the time the flames had dispersed and the green guys were retreating into the sand again, their target had already run ahead and out of reach.  
  
Link continued to run, sprinting under the trilithon, and didn't stop until he had run up the stone steps of the Spirit Temple. He stood with his hands on his knees, catching his breath. What in the world iwere/i those? They must have been Leevers. Having never been in the desert before, he'd never seen them before, but had heard about them. They were more annoying than dangerous, but if you get enough of them together... Yikes.  
  
No matter, however. Link had work to do. After the short rest, he started into the Spirit Temple, ducking out of the gaze of the brutal sun.  
  
He had to stand still for several moments while his eyes adjusted to the sudden darkness. It wasn't actually dark in the temple, but compared to the desert, it seemed so at first. As his eyes adjusted, he saw a wide staircase in front of him. On either side of the staircase was a tall tablet, with a cobra head on top. On the tablet was more old Hylian writing.  
  
It seemed that once one walked up that small, carpeted stairway, there would be two ways to go - left or right. Link wanted to see what was up there, so he started forward. After taking a few steps, one of the two small clay pots that rested on either side of the stairway suddenly lifted off the ground. After hovering for less than a second, it threw itself at Link. The Hylian threw his head to the side as the pot whizzed by his ear. It crashed into the wall behind him and shattered.  
  
"W-What the?!" Link shouted out of surprise. As he stared at the broken remains of the pot, he heard the second pot take flight, and had to jump away again to avoid getting hit square in the nose. The second one met a similar multi-pieced fate.  
  
..."'Haunted Wasteland', indeed...," Link said.  
  
Link made quick work of the stairway, and glanced to his left and right. It did indeed look like there were two ways to go, but it also looked like neither would be of much use to him. To his left was a wall with a small hole in it, and he knew perfectly well that there was no way his adult body would fit through that thing. To his right was a large block - at least ten feet high - with a crescent moon shape carved into it. That block was completely blocking a hallway. There was no way he could budge it if he tried - the thing had to be fifteen feet high and just as wide. Maybe a fireball could reduce it to pebbles - but both people he knew that were capable of that kind of thing weren't in commission at the moment.  
  
Then Link remembered the cobra-headed tablets. He ran back down the stairs and up to the tall tablet on the side of the room with the small hole. He quickly translated the old Hylian into the present-day language in his head, then read it aloud to himself.  
  
"If you want to proceed to the past, you should return here with the pure heart of a child."  
  
So he would have to come back here as a child. But even if he were to return the Master Sword to its place, how would he get back to the temple? Even iif/i he were able to sneak past the Gerudos, he'd never make it through the desert.  
  
Link wandered across the room to the tablet that stood where the giant block was. He read it aloud.  
  
"If you want to travel to the future, you should return here with the power of silver from the past."  
  
That confirmed it for him - the only way he could get anywhere in this place was to come back as a child. Although, that didn't solve his problem, either. Without one of the sorcerers there to fly him over the desert, he'd never make it back as a child.  
  
Link turned around and left the temple, squinting against the bright sunlight, wondering aloud what he was supposed to do now. He bit his lip in thought, and eventually decided that he'd go back to the the Pedestal of Time and decide what to do then. He began to walk. As he neared the trilithon that towered over him, he suddenly got a bad feeling, and looked around. Something compelled him to look upward.  
  
What he saw hit him like a punch in the face. Someone was standing on the top stone of the trilithon. Her blue clothes and short brown hair blew in the wind, and the strong sunlight reflected from the lenses of her glasses, but even that didn't hide the red eyes that were glaring menacingly down at him.  
  
Before Link could even call out to her, Lydia leapt from the stone, using the power of a flight spell to propel herself downward at such a speed that Link couldn't even move before she was upon him. She held a ball of white light in her hand, and rammed that hand into Link's torso before he could get away. Link felt the spell spread through him even faster than pain from the blow to his chest, and everything went black.  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
Link slowly started to come to, and forced his eyes to open, ignoring the stars that danced before them. Things were blurry at first and he wasn't sure where he was. When his vision cleared and his body started to regain its coordination, he became aware of his surroundings, and felt his stomach drop. He found himself high in the air, watching the bleak landscape of the destroyed Market passing under him. He also realized that he was being carried by two slim arms.  
  
So that was it. Instead of killing him, Lydia had been ordered to take him to Ganon's Tower. ...That spell must have been a sleep spell. He thought it had looked familiar. Lydia had used it once to stop a bar fight at the Tavern.  
  
Making sure not to move, to make it seem that he was still asleep, Link wracked his brain, trying to think of a way out of this. He couldn't let Lydia take him all the way to the Tower, or they'd both be in serious trouble.  
  
The only way out of this situation would require falling, so Link waited for a good opportunity to get himself out of Lydia's grasp. He needed somewhere he could land and still be able to get up immediately afterward, or else there'd be no point to it. He had to be able to stand and run in order for this to work.  
  
Soon enough, the remains of the Temple of Time became visible. In earlier times, the temple had been surrounded by trees. Those trees were dead now, but they still stood. That was better than nothing, and Link knew it was his best chance.  
  
Link also knew that even though Ganondorf had control over Lydia's mind, she was still Lydia, and was probably still viciously ticklish. As soon as she was passing over one of those dead trees, Link sprung into action. He swung his arm up and rammed his fingers into her ribcage as hard as he could. She screamed in shock and dropped him.  
  
He fell for a distance before he started bouncing off the branches of the tree. He tried to swing from branches whenever he could, and succeeded about half the time. Sometimes he managed to grab a branch to slow the fall, only to get rammed in the stomach by the next one. Sometimes the branches he managed to grab simply broke. Plus, the ground came up and hit him before he was prepared, and it knocked the wind out of him. Although in a lot of pain, Link forced himself up immediately, and started to run for the Pedestal.  
  
He bounded over rocks and rubble, tripping several times and cutting up his hands stopping his falls on the rocks, not stopping for anything. If he stopped, Lydia would get to him before he was ready.  
  
The Pedestal appeared like a rising sun, and Link sprinted for it, unsheathing the Master Sword as he ran. He skidded to a stop right before it, and turned around quickly.  
  
Lydia was iright/i there. Link yelled in surprise in spite of himself. He had expected her to be following, but hadn't expected her to be standing right behind him when he stopped. But there she stood, glaring at him with those red eyes, with her arms crossed. She was so close that her nose was practically touching his. Link could feel her breath when she spoke.  
  
"...Okay...," she said angrily. "Ganondorf told me to deliver you to him ialive/i. And I iwas/i going to. But now you've just plain pissed me off. Looks like Ganondorf will just have to deal with a little disappointment."  
  
She reached up and grabbed his shirt collar, and pulled him even closer to her. "Do you have any last requests before I extinguish your insignificant, yet troublesome little life?"  
  
Link swallowed hard. Now or never.  
  
"Actually, I do have a final request."  
  
In a completely unexpected move, Link swung his free arm around Lydia and pulled her against him, holding her tightly as he used his sword arm to ram the Master Sword down into the Pedestal of Time.  
  
"Come back to me!" he shouted.  
  
Lydia shouted angrily and tried to pull away as the blue light rose around them, but Link held onto her with an absolute deathgrip. There was no way in hell he was going to let her go now. She struggled and clawed at him and was no doubt going to start blasting off spells any second now, but he still wouldn't loosen his hold even the smallest bit. Everything depended on this. After a moment, everything went white.  
  
Things darkened down again and the wind died away, and they were once again surrounded by the strong walls of the Temple of Time, the Master Sword again resting quietly. Link slowly let go of the sword.  
  
The girl had stopped struggling. Her forehead was lowered against Link's shoulder, her fists up against his chest, as they had been when she was trying to get away. She stood perfectly still.  
  
Link stood quietly as well, saying nothing. Just waiting. He had a theory that Ganondorf would have no control over Lydia's child body, but he wasn't well schooled in the ways of magic and didn't know for certain. He waited patiently, to see what had happened. If she was still under his control, Link would be in a lot of trouble.  
  
Finally, Lydia made a noise. It was a quiet, weak little sob.  
  
She started to shake. Her knees gave out and she slumped to the floor, and Link sat down with her and held her as she started to sob loudly and uncontrollably, clinging to him with everything she had. Link smiled and stroked her long-again hair as the girl's tears soaked the front of his shirt. He had been right - Lydia was herself again, at least for now.  
  
After several straight minutes of loud crying, Lydia finally started to calm down. Eventually she worked up enough effort to speak.  
  
"...Did I kill him?" she whispered.  
  
Link knew right away that she was talking about Gordon. "No," he replied. "He's going to be fine."  
  
Lydia started to cry again. "I couldn't stop myself! I couldn't help it! I tried so hard to stop, but I couldn't! I.. I.."  
  
"It's all right. Shh."  
  
"No, it's not! No no no!!" She pulled her face from his shirt front and looked at him with her normal green eyes. "This is how it's gonna happen!!"  
  
Link was a bit bewildered. "...How what's going to happen?"  
  
"That dream! That horrible dream! It's exactly like that! Having no control over my own body! The dream's gonna come true!" She sobbed again and sank back into Link's arms. "...I don't want you to die!"  
  
Both were silent for several minutes, save for Lydia's exhausted crying. Link tried to think of something to say. He knew she was right - it could very well happen. But he also knew how strong she was.  
  
"...Nothing's set in stone, Lyd. We can still change the future."  
  
He felt her shake her head.  
  
"Yes, we can," he continued. "You're not alone in this. We can overcome it together."  
  
Lydia was silent for a while, then asked, "...How can you be so confident? How can you just iknow/i I'll be able to stop myself when that time comes?"  
  
Link smiled. "Because I have faith in you."  
  
She lifted her head and looked at him. "That is so corny," she said whith a slight smile. The look on his face was so kind and sincere that she couldn't help but feel better and more confident herself. "...Okay," she whispered. "I'll try to be strong."  
  
The boy smiled again and patted her head like the child she was. "That's my girl."  
  
Lydia shoved him. "Hey, I may not look like it right now, but I'm seventeen years old. Don't treat me like a kid!"  
  
"But you so often act like one, it's hard to keep track sometimes."  
  
"S-Shut up! I do not! I am perfectly..." Lydia stopped, smiled at Link, and threw herself into his arms again. "You're so wonderful."  
  
"I try."  
  
Lydia eventually pulled away and wiped the tears from her face. After a tired sigh, she put a hand on her chest and frowned.  
  
"I don't have it in this young body," she whispered, "...but I...took the Triforce of Wisdom from him. I remember how it felt. I could feel the new power, but at the same time, I could feel the sorrows and pains of the people of ages past." She paused and looked up at Link. "It's so burdensome... How can you and Gordon put up with it all the time? Or Zelda for that matter?"  
  
He smirked at her. "What a worldly statement. I guess your wisdom has gone up a few notches from rock-bottom since getting a hold of that thing."  
  
Lydia threw her finger out and pointed right at his nose. "iUncalled for!/i" She lowered her arm again. "...Seriously, though..."  
  
"Don't worry so much. Just think of carrying that burden as your chance to make the world better. That's what I've always done." He smiled. "It works."  
  
She smiled and nodded as her eyes wandered over to the majestic Master Sword, resting peacefully. It was then that she caught sight of something viciously out of place - the same pink ribbon that she remembered tying her hair back with. It was tied around the hilt of the Master Sword, the same way she had tied it to her own sword after swearing to save Nabooru.  
  
Lydia looked at Link, her eyes dancing with emotion. "What's that?" she asked.  
  
Link looked at the floor, his face turning red. "Nothing," he said quickly. "I-I just... didn't want to forget to return it to you. That's all."  
  
The girl looked at him for several moments, then smiled, her heart melting. If Link had one flaw, it was that he was a rotten liar. But it was obvious that he was being bashful, so she decided she'd spare him the embarrassment for now. She diverted her gaze to the floor for a moment in thought, then said, "So... we have business in the Spirit Temple, right? We have to get through that small hole."  
  
"You know about that?" Link asked.  
  
"I got there long enough before you did to have time to look around first. We need to get something from this time in order to get through that temple." She took hold of Link's hand and started to pull him. "We can't waste any time. The sooner we awaken the final sage, the sooner I...er... iwe/i...can go and rip Ganondorf a new one. He deserves no less for chopping my hair off. Big jerk-faced stupid-head."  
  
As she continued pulling him along behind her, Link smiled. There had never been a time when he appreciated this girl more than he did right then. Things definitely would work out. She was determined to beat this, and Link knew he'd be right there with her, and nothing made him happier.  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
It was mid-afternoon now. The sun was high, beating down mercilessly on the already hot sand. The desert was relatively silent, save for the few crows that occupied the skies overhead, along with the small girl that was flying toward the Spirit Temple.  
  
"Gaah...," she moaned loudly over the rushing wind. "Did you get heavier?"  
  
Link turned his head and looked up at her. "Did you get weaker?"  
  
"Shut up. You're just getting fat. You should exercise more." Lydia turned her gaze up ahead, ignoring Link's entertained laughing, staring intently at the sandstorm that was now visable. Last time, she had had to fly up over the clouds to get over it, and doubted it would be any different now. That storm was constant, even across the span of years. Weather changes were rare - it was almost always sunny and incredibly hot. She could already feel sweat starting to gather in the regular trouble spots. As she neared the sandstorm, she steepened the flight angle so suddenly that Link squirmed a bit, as if worried he would fall.  
  
Things around them turned gray as they went into the clouds, then suddenly bright as they broke out again. The winds weren't as strong up here, and the clouds below them looked as beautiful as freshly fallen snow. At that moment, Lydia was able to put aside her worries for the first time in a while and just enjoy the world around her. She didn't tell Link, but she was loving it so much that she actually circled the temple several times before actually dropping down below the clouds again.  
  
Once below the clouds, the Spirit Temple was immediately apparent. She started to descend toward the Triforce platform that rested in the sands on the north side, then stopped when Link shouted up to her.  
  
"Let's land at the door!" he warned. "There are Leevers everywhere down there!"  
  
Lydia changed the direction gradually and made for the stone stairs of the temple. "Leevers?"  
  
"Trust me, you'd hate them."  
  
The girl shrugged and left it at that. If he was so sure about it, they were probably icky, and she wanted no part of it.  
  
She set Link down on the stone as softly as she could, then touched down herself. She quickly ran her fingers through her hair, trying to make it look somewhat less wind-ravaged.  
  
"God, it's hot," she complained out loud. "How could ianyone/i stand to actually live out here? Not to mention, ihow/i long has it been since my hair's been this long? Auuggh..."  
  
Link took hold of her hand and started pulling her inside. "The sooner we get done here, the sooner we can ileave/i, okay?"  
  
"I know, I know. I'm comin'."  
  
As the cool shade draped itself over them as they walked inside, Link had a thought. "...Speaking of your hair, what happened? It was even shorter than before."  
  
Lydia grew annoyed very suddenly. "Oh, that jerk has this obsessive thing with Maya. Apparently, she had really nice hair. So, he takes pleasure in butchering mine."  
  
"...How off-putting," Link said. "W-Wait a second. Maya? He knows about Maya?"  
  
"Oh yeah...," Lydia sighed. "He got an up close and personal look into my mind while he was taking it over. He knows who the kid and I are."  
  
"...iGreat/i."  
  
The girl waved her hand. "Ah, it doesn't really change anything. He just gets even imore/i pissed off when he sees me, and to tell you the truth...," A sly smile crawled across her face. "...I kinda enjoy pissing the guy off."  
  
Link smiled and shook his head. "We all have our guilty pleasures, I guess. ...If it makes you feel any better, it's still pretty cute."  
  
The girl laughed. "Man, I could be ibald/i and you'd still think it was cute."  
  
Suddenly, Link stopped, then raised his hand signaling his companion to stop. He had that someone's-here look on his face again, and Lydia looked around them. All she saw was stone walls, the stairs, and those huge cobra-head things. Before she could whisper in his ear, he started to sneak forward. She silently followed, on guard, as Link snuck up the stairs, staying low, out of sight below the stone railing. He stopped at the second-to-last step, lowered himself to his knees, and glanced around the railing toward the left side of the room. Lydia carefully crawled to his right side and followed his gaze.  
  
Over by where the small hole was carved through the wall, a Gerudo woman was kneeling. She looked like she was deep in thought, trying to think of a way to get through there. Lydia's mouth dropped open when she realized who it was. It was Nabooru.  
  
Lydia and Link looked each other, both a bit bewildered. What was ishe/i doing here?, their eyes asked each other. Link silently motioned with his head that they should go over there. Lydia shook her head, a bit afraid to. Link nodded confidently, then stood straight up and started walking. Lydia dove forward and grabbed his ankle, shaking her head at him again. He stopped and looked at her, then turned around and silently started back down the stairs, pulling her along behind him. As soon as they were out of immediate earshot, Link crouched down on the floor with her.  
  
"What's the problem?" he whispered.  
  
"I can't face her right now!" the girl whispered back rather harshly. "I'm too embarrassed!"  
  
"...Why?"  
  
"She was bait in the trap that Ganondorf got me with, and I feel stupid for falling for it! She must think I'm an idiot! I have my pride, too, you know!" She shook her head. "I'm not going."  
  
Link smiled and shook his head. "Look. First of all, no, she doesn't. I've already spoken with her. Secondly, that's seven years from now. iThis/i Nabooru doesn't even know us yet."  
  
Lydia stared at him, a look of shock crept over her face, then she looked down at her child body. Her face turned bright red. "...Oh yeah. I keep forgetting."  
  
Link stood up and pulled the girl up with him. "C'mon, let's just go," he said, and started walking up the stairs again.  
  
She followed, rather bashfully.  
  
As soon as they reached the top of the stairs, both walking as casually as they could, Nabooru turned around and looked at them, obviously surprised to see other people out here, let alone a couple of kids. She stood up as they walked closer to her.  
  
"What are you kids doing out here?" she asked, planting her hands on her hips.  
  
The two kids looked at each other. "Nothing, really," Link finally said innocently.  
  
"Oh, really?" Nabooru replied. She placed a dark hand on her chin in thought. "...In that case, how about doing me a little favor? But, wait... You're not one of Ganondorf's...followers... are you?"  
  
Link swallowed as he tried to think of something innocent to say. Before he could reply, Lydia suddenly stepped forward with a fist raised.  
  
"We ihate/i Ganondorf!" she shouted passionately.  
  
The Hylian clenched his teeth, in shock mostly, then grabbed the girl and pulled her back. He looked worriedly at Nabooru.  
  
Her reaction was slightly suprising. She was laughing loudly. "I like your attitude!" she said, then continued to laugh.  
  
Link sighed, then gave Lydia a critical look. She flashed him a cute, childish smile. "No harm, no foul," she whispered.  
  
"What's your name?" Nabooru asked.  
  
"Link."  
  
"Link?? What kind of name is ithat/i?"  
  
The Hylian chose to ignore Lydia's badly disguised giggling.  
  
"Anyway..." Nabooru said, "maybe you iwill/i be willing to help me. See, this temple is Ganondorf's hideout, and I don't like what he and his lackies have been planning lately. It's as if he's lost his mind."  
  
"Is that why you're here?" Link asked.  
  
"Yeah! I want to get into this temple and mess up his plans! But... the way is blocked by that huge block over there," she said, pointing past them to the other side of the room.  
  
Link had already seen it - the block that required the "power of silver from the past" to get by - but looked back that way anyway. Lydia did the same.  
  
"...That iis/i pretty huge..." Lydia thought out loud. "I doubt even a Goron could move it."  
  
Nabooru pointed her finger at Lydia excitedly. "Exactly! Exactly! See, the only way to move that thing is to use the Silver Gauntlets. When you wear those things, your strength multiplies many times over!" Then, she pointed down at the hole. "But they're through this little hole. I can't get them."  
  
Link smiled to himself. Everything was starting to make sense.  
  
"Maybe you two could crawl through this hole and go get them for me. No, no, no, don't even ithink/i about keeping them for yourselves. Kids like you couldn't use them, anyway."  
  
Lydia crossed her arms. "What's in it for ius/i, then?"  
  
Nabooru waved her arms carelessly. "Oh, I'll think of something."  
  
"Mmm-hmm." Lydia uncrossed her arms and looked at Link. "Shall we go, then?"  
  
Link nodded. "Sure."  
  
Nabooru clapped her hands together. "Fantastic!" She stepped aside to allow them to pass. "I'll wait right here, okay? Don't be slow, now. The sooner we can get to Ganondorf, the better."  
  
The two walked past her. As Link bent over and started crawling through the hole, Lydia took one last look at Nabooru. The Gerudo was smiling widely at her, flashing her white teeth.   
  
"I don't think I caught iyour/i name," she said.  
  
Lydia stood silent for a moment, then smiled back. "...Maybe it's better that way." With that, she got down on her knees and followed Link into the dark hole.  
  
Light eventually appeared on the other end and she crawled toward it. Link was already up and out and was standing right in front of the opening. Lydia reached out and knocked on one of his ankles. "Move over," she said. "It's cramped in here."  
  
He stepped aside, and she crawled out into the open and stood up. They were standing in a fairly large room. There were a lot of deserty designs on the walls, and only one way out - a door on the opposite wall. The thing that was holding Link's attention was what was standing in front of the door. It was some kind of dog-like statue, about as tall as a normal-sized adult man. The way it was standing there, guarding the door... it looked like Link was debating about whether or not it was just sitting there or if it was actually iwatching/i him.  
  
..."It looks like an Anubis," Lydia observed.  
  
Link looked at her. "...A what?"  
  
"I think I read that name in a book back home... In a country in my world, back in ancient times... I think the name of one of the gods or something was 'Anubis'... and it looked a ilot/i like that." She looked at Link, who was blankly staring back at her. "...I icould/i be wrong... But this place reminds me a lot of that country. ...Not that I've ever been there, of course..."  
  
Link waved his hand, signaling that that was enough. He turned his gaze back on the... Anubuss, or whatever had Lydia called it. "The question isn't really what it iis/i," he said, "but whether or not it's alive."  
  
Lydia looked at the Anubis, and after a short staring contest, she declared, "Doesn't ilook/i alive. I'm sure that's a statue."  
  
"Go touch it."  
  
"iHell/i no!"  
  
"Then you're inot/i sure."  
  
Lydia's mouth dropped open. She angrily puffed her chest out and ran forward. "Just iwatch/i me!" Before Link could even finish shouting after her about the fact that he was kidding, she already had a leg up and kicked the Anubis square in the front, then bounced back a few steps.  
  
Nothing happened. The statue felt a lot like stone.  
  
Link ran up behind her and grabbed her arm. "I wasn't iserious/i about touching it!"  
  
"Too late for ithat/i!" The girl sighed loudly. "Anyway, it's just rock. Let's see if we can move it out of the way."  
  
The Hylian groaned, and glanced behind him. His breath caught in his throat and he stiffened.  
  
Lydia felt his hand sharply tighten its grip on her arm. She complained loudly and turned around, and had a similar reaction.   
  
A good dozen more of those Anubis statues had appeared where they had been standing before, by the hole in the wall. These were different - they looked just like the stone Anubis statue, but were hovering about a foot off the ground.  
  
"...Where did..ithose/i...come from?" the sorceress whimpered. She let out a little yelp as the Anubis statues started to actually approach them.  
  
Link took a step back and drew his Kokiri sword. "...Any bright ideas?" he asked.  
  
The girl held a hand out in front of his face to stop him. "Yeah, let ime/i handle this. Those things are made of rock. I'll have to slow 'em down first before that little sword of yours will do any damage."  
  
Suddenly, before either could react, the speed of the Anubis statues quickened from a slow crawl to a flat-out "sprint". The two yelled out in surprise and dove in seperate directions to avoid getting trampled. Link was quick enough to roll out of the way scratch-free, but Lydia got rammed in the shoulder by one of them as she tried to escape. She rolled several feet and stood again quickly, clutching her shoulder. She stared at the Anubis that hit her, then down at her bruised shoulder. That feeling was...  
  
"You okay?" she heard Link shout from somewhere on the other side of the room.  
  
"Fine!" she yelled back. "Link! They're inot/i stone!"  
  
"They're not?!"  
  
iNo/i, Lydia thought, ibut what hurts them?! It doesn't look like an ordinary sword slash will do it... These things aren't like regular monsters./i  
  
The girl closed her eyes and reached out with her magic, wrapping it around everything in the room. She saw images in her head of the Anubis statues wandering around the desert at night, then retreating back into the temple just before sunrise, then coming out again after dark. Why did they... shy away from the sunlight?  
  
She snapped her eyes open again, in time to watch some of the Anubis statues make their way toward her.  
  
Link gritted his teeth as half of the group of Anubis statues turned and started moving toward him, while the other half headed in the opposite direction. He couldn't see Lydia, but he heard her loud and clear.  
  
"Try fire!" he heard her shout. "They hate heat!"  
  
Not having time to ask just how the hell she knew that, Link took a defensive stance and prepared to give these things a decent helping of Din's Fire.  
  
"Yeah, come on!" Lydia shouted. "Good doggies! Wanna play fetch?"  
  
The statues started to close in on her.  
  
"Well, actually, I don't have a stick, but... font color=9966FFbBamu Rod!/b/font" A whip of fire fell from her hand and coiled itself on the floor by her ankles. She smiled mischiviously. "But what about a whip?"  
  
The Anubis statues suddenly stopped. They stared at her for a moment, then suddenly turned completely around and made a break for the other side of the room.  
  
Lydia yelled after them. "H-Hey! Where ya goin? It's just a little fire! It'll be ifun!/i Really!"  
  
Right about then, from Link's side of the room, Din's Fire was released. Not only was his half of the group caught in the blast, but the ones that had fled from Lydia also fell victim. Just as she had guessed, they didn't do well with the fire - it engulfed them immediately and set them ablaze. They let out a load moan all at once, and quickly crumbled into ashes.  
  
Link stood up straight as Lydia bounced over to give him a congratulatory pat on the back. "No problem!" she cheered. "They were just a bunch of fraidy-cats! ...Or... fraidy-dogs. Or...whatever."  
  
"Next time we run into something, it seems that all you'll have to do is glare at it, and we'll be home free."  
  
"...Look, you, they were afraid of the fire whip, not of ime/i. Now, stop being a smart ass, and help me move that--"  
  
Lydia stopped midsentence when she turned around. The Anubis statue that had been blocking the doorway had vanished.  
  
"...statue." The girl nervously looked around the room. "iNot funny!/i" she angrily shouted at the surrounding walls.  
  
Link grabbed her wrist and started pulling her toward the door. "Obviously, it was some kind of test," he said calmly. "No need to panic."  
  
Nonetheless, the girl clung to his arm nervously, glancing backward as they walked through the open, dark doorway.  
  
They slowly walked through a dark hallway for a short distance, until it opened up into a huge, dim room. The sheer size of it reminded them vaguely of the main room back in the Forest Temple. The door they had emerged from was at the bottom of a stairway that seemed to curl upward toward another door close to the ceiling. On the far left side of the room was a similar stairway with two similar doors. The most interesting feature was the huge statue that sat cross-legged against the back wall. It was a large statue of a woman, almost identical to the one etched into the temple itself. She was holding her two hands out, the palms flat and facing the ceiling.  
  
"...Hmm. Interesting," Lydia whispered. She looked at her companion, who was looking around the room for immediate dangers. "Where should we go from here?"  
  
Link said nothing at first, then looked at the stairway immediately to their right. "...Call it a hunch, but something tells me we should take these stairs up first."  
  
Lydia shrugged indifferently. "Whatever," she said carelessly.  
  
They made quick work of the first half of the stairway, walking as quietly as they could, even though neither had seen anything in the room with them. As they turned the bend in the stairway that led up to the door near the ceiling, Link suddenly stopped.  
  
The sorceress knew this behavior all too well, and immediately looked around for signs of danger. It didn't reveal itself to her, since she didn't think to look down at the floor, at the large shadow that was growing by the second.  
  
Link suddenly gave her a hard shove, sending her sprawling to the floor, then dove to one side himself, as something large dropped to the floor right where they had been. As soon as Lydia looked up and saw what it was, she shrieked out loud, and started to crab-walk backward out of fear of this creature that was right out of an episode of iThe Addams Family/i.  
  
It looked like a huge severed hand, easily as large as both of them put together. It was walking around on its fingers, meandering about a bit, as if unsure which direction to travel. It didn't stick around long. Just as Link was reaching for his weapon, the thing hissed loudly, then leapt back toward the ceiling, shrouded in darkness, and disappeared.  
  
Lydia slowly stood up, trying to control her shaking knees. "Okay..." she groaned, "...what the ihell/i?"  
  
Link's attention was glued to the dark ceiling, even though there wasn't a whole lot to see, even to his sharp eyes. "I think that was a Wallmaster. Read about them once in the castle library. They're relatively harmless, save for the fact that they grab you and drag you Din-knows-where in the temples they patrol."  
  
"Gah, I don't care," she replied, waving her hands impatiently. "Let's just get out of here before it comes back."  
  
"Fair enough. Still... they're quite interesting..."  
  
Lydia threw her hands into Link's back and shoved him so hard up the stairs that he almost lost balance. "Be interested ilater/i. I'd rather not see it again."  
  
The girl pushed him all the way up the stairway and didn't stop until they were standing in front of the large doorway. Link was about to open it, when Lydia took hold of the back of his tunic and pulled him back.  
  
"Don't bother," she said. "It's sealed."  
  
"...How can you tell?"  
  
She squinted her eyes a little, trying to make sure she wasn't just imagining the faint blue light surrounding the door frame. "I can see the aura. It's a magical seal."  
  
"Can you break it?"  
  
"...I don't think so, but..." Lydia backed up a few steps, then turned around to look around the room again. Now that they were up higher, they could see the palms of the statue's hands. The girl immediately caught sight of the golden Triforce drawn onto the statue's right palm.  
  
She poked Link and pointed toward it. "Hey, check that out. ...Ocarina time, maybe?"  
  
He saw it right away. "Hmm. Perhaps. Couldn't hurt to try. Can you get me over there?"  
  
"Only if you ask nicely."  
  
"iPlease/i."  
  
Lydia smiled widely. "Okay!" She stepped around Link and took a firm hold on him from behind. "font color=9966FFbLevitation!/b/font" she shouted, and lifted a few inches off the ground. She flew over the railing and out into the open, quickly zipping over to the hand. She dropped Link right on the Triforce mark, then backed off, hovering just behind the wrist.  
  
Link reached into his tunic and produced the Ocarina of Time. The sound of music filled the large room, gently echoing off the surrounding walls. Lydia recognized the music as the calming melody of Zelda's Lullaby - the song of the royal family. As the final notes were being played, she felt a rush of magic go through the room, and looked up at the door in time to see the blue aura waver and fade.  
  
"That's got it!" she said happily as Link was putting the Ocarina away. "It should be open now."  
  
He turned and smiled at her. "Back to the stairs, then."  
  
"Aye aye, sir!" she replied as she grabbed his arm and lifted him up off the stone.  
  
A moment later, they were back on the stairway, again facing the large door. Link turned the rusty doorknob and pushed inward, but the door didn't give. He threw his weight into it, declining Lydia's offer to blast it open, and it took several tries before the rusted old door finally gave, slowly swinging into the hallway behind. He started in immediately, but Lydia hung back. Her eyes were glued to the face of the large statue. Something about it looked strange, but she shouldn't quite put her finger on what it was.  
  
Link turned around when he noticed she wasn't following. "What's up?" he called to her.  
  
"...I dunno," she said so quietly that if not for his Hylian ears, Link wouldn't have been able to hear her. "...Something about that statue's face. It looks weird."  
  
"Really? I wonder what--" He stopped immediately when the sound hit his ears. A shadow appeared around Lydia, still standing out in that room.  
  
"iLyd, watch it!/i" he screamed at her.  
  
She didn't even have time to turn her head before the Wallmaster struck. It landed right on her, knocking her to the floor. Immediately, it started back up toward the ceiling, taking the girl along with it. She kicked and screamed furiously, trying to squirm out its grip.  
  
Link broke out into the room again at a sprint, but both Lydia and the Wallmaster had disappeared into the darkness above. Just as he was about to panic, he heard Lydia's shrieking voice somewhere up there.  
  
"iLet GO of me!! font color=9966FFbBlast Wave!/b/font/i"  
  
A bright burst of red light from somewhere within the darkness lit the entire room so brightly that Link had to cover his eyes and turn away from it. It burned brightly for several moments before finally fading. When Link opened his eyes again, he realized that Lydia had reappeared. She was on her knees, clinging to Link's waist, shaking like a leaf.  
  
He smiled slightly and soothingly rubbed her back. "...You get it?"  
  
She nodded several times. "The effect of that spell on physical objects is absolute. I'm sure it's been reduced to itty bitty little pieces." She turned her slightly-panicked face up to look at him. "That was...really disturbing. And you think they're iinteresting/i?"  
  
Link laughed, deciding to pull her out of her fright by defying her sense of logic. "Aren't they, though? I mean, it wasn't going to ihurt/i you, but you could have ended up ianywhere/i in this place. The way it fights is fascinating, really."  
  
Lydia stood up and glared right in to his eyes. "I will never fully understand the way your mind works." She sighed. "...Can we just go? I don't want to be here when another one shows up. You iknow/i there's gotta be more than one." Without waiting for him, she started into the hallway.  
  
"Probably," Link replied as he followed her. After a moment of silence, a sly smile crawled across his face. "...Probably idozens/i of them."  
  
The sorceress whirled around. "You take that iback/i, Long Ears. I mean it."  
  
Link laughed again. "Sorry."  
  
"Tch. Sure you are."  
  
The hallway soon turned into another stairway that whirled up to another upstairs room. It was a medium-sized room, with pillars partway in, forming two rows on either side of the center. Between the rows of pillars, a red carpet was laid, leading to the rock throne at the far wall. Link saw something large sitting in the throne, and immediately pulled Lydia with him as he ducked behind the closest pillar, farthest from the throne. It looked like a large, full-plate silver suit of armor. It was calmly sitting in the throne, a large battle ax resting on its lap.  
  
Behind the throne was an open doorway.  
  
Lydia stretched her neck to look around Link's shoulder. "...What, that suit of armor?"  
  
He said nothing, but nodded.  
  
"Go touch it," she pressed.  
  
"...That probably wouldn't be a good idea."  
  
"Okay, throw something."  
  
"That would istill/i involve disturbing it, Lyd. I'd rather not."  
  
"We can't ihelp/i but disturb it. We'll inever/i get to that door behind it unless we get close to it." She bent over, picking up a loose stone that was sitting by her right foot, then stepped out into the open. "It's ijust/i an old suit of armor."  
  
"Yeah, and that statue back there was ijust/i an old Anubis statue." Link warned nervously, "Lyd, seriously. Don't bother it. We can get around it without touching it."  
  
Ignoring him, she reared her arm back and heaved the stone as hard as she could. It hit the armor square in the chest. Before the stone even hit the ground after bouncing off, the suit of armor grunted and stood up. With a yelp, Lydia was back behind the pillar with her back pressed against the stone. Link was giving her a really sarcastic I-Told-You-So face.  
  
"Not a iword/i," she hissed at him.  
  
Link shook his head. "Augh, nevermind. Let's just...deal with this," he said over the loud stomping of the suit's feet as it worked its way toward where they were hiding. "Okay, my sword will never get through that outer armor shell... the Master Sword might, but not this one. There has to be another way. It seems to be rather slow, so--"  
  
Before he could even finish his sentence, there was a rush of air, the loud clang of metal, and the pillar they were hiding behind crumbled, sending rocks and debris in all directions. Link and Lydia dove in seperate directions as the suit of armor recoiled its ax, then paused as it thought about which one of them to go after.  
  
"iWhat/i was that about it being slow?!" Lydia shouted as the suit turned and started stomping toward Link. As soon as its back was to her, she saw something out of place. It looked like a pair of criss-crossing red suspenders that seemed to be holding that outer armor in place. "Hello..." she hummed to herself, and started to sneak up closer.  
  
The armor swung its ax in a wide arc, missing Link as he quickly backflipped out of its path. He glared at it as it gathered its strength for another swing. How was he supposed to get through that protective coating of metal? He ducked as another horizontal swing was sent his way. The momentum carried the ax into another nearby pillar, which folded like paper and crashed to the floor, sending up a huge cloud of dust.  
  
Link regained his balance and glanced quickly around the room, realizing that he had lost sight of Lydia in all the dust. He was about to call out to her when a magical fire whip suddenly sailed out of the dust and struck the armor suit square in the back. It grunted loudly as something snapped. Suddenly, the outermost layer of armor fell free, hitting the floor with a loud iclang/i. There was more armor underneath, but it was obviously thinner than the outer shell.  
  
Now the suit was iangry/i. Instead of a leisurely stomping, it started ijogging/i after Link, who immediately took off running, jumping over debris and leftover pillar like a jackrabbit.  
  
He heard Lydia's voice then. "Your sword needs to be stronger to hurt him!" she shouted from somewhere in the dust cloud. "Use that spell we taught you!"  
  
Link scoffed out loud. "You expect me to iremember/i how to cast that?! I'm not a sorcerer! This stuff doesn't come naturally to me, even if it iis/i Hyrulean magic!"  
  
"All right, all right! Just hang tight for a minute!"  
  
The Hylian glanced around at the huge, threatening suit of armor that was in hot pursuit. "Easy for iyou/i to say!" he shouted.  
  
Almost immediately, Lydia appeared out of the mist right at his side. Running backward, she threw her hand out at the armor. "font color=9966FFbInferno Array!/b/font" she shouted. Several black balls appeared around the suit, which then exploded, completely enclouding it in black smoke. It grunted angrily, and blindly swung its ax around, completely confused.  
  
Lydia reached behind Link and yanked the Kokiri Sword out of its little sheath, then held it up toward the ceiling. "font color=9966FFbAstral Vine!/b/font" A bolt of red lighting came out of nowhere and loudly struck the blade. Lydia flinched from the sound. When she brought the sword down again, it was coated in bright red light.  
  
Smiling at her work, she handed the sword to Link. "Next time we're home, you have some homework to do." She gave him a hearty pat on the back. "Now do your stuff!"  
  
Link wasted no time - the black cloud was starting to fade. The outline of the suit was becoming visable again. He ran forward, the glowing sword at the ready, and disappeared into the blackness.  
  
Lydia couldn't see through the cloud, but she heard a loud, distinctive, single sound of metal connecting with metal. The black cloud quickly dissapated as the spell ended. The suit of armor was standing erect, not moving at all. Link was standing behind it, skillfully sliding the sword back into its sheath.  
  
The sorceress was about to say something when the head of the suit suddenly detached from the body and fell to the floor, bouncing away. The rest of the suit quickly followed, hitting the floor with a loud iclang/i and falling into several pieces.  
  
Link turned around and smiled at Lydia. "How's ithat/i for skill?" he asked cockily.  
  
Lydia smiled and nodded. "One carefully-placed strike. Very nice." She chuckled in the suit's direction and kicked one of the metal shoulder pieces clear across the room. Before it even stopped bouncing, she had grabbed Link's wrist and was pulling him through the doorway behind the throne.  
  
"I sure hope there aren't more than one of ithose/i," she thought out loud.  
  
"There are probably dozens," Link teased. "And they might team up with the dozens of Wallmasters and come after us all at once."  
  
Lydia shuddered visibily at the very thought of it. "If ithat/i were to happen, this temple would meet the same unfortunate fate of the Temple of Time. There would be major Dragon Slaveage. ...Oh, hello, is this fresh air?"  
  
Sure enough, the hallway they were in abruptly ended up ahead, breaking out into open air. The sky was visible, and it was almost dusk. They were surprised at how much time had passed since they had come here. It looked like this path led to a small platform on the side of the temple, way up high, near the face of the huge statue carved into the outer wall.  
  
Most interestingly, there was a large chest resting upon this small stone platform.  
  
"Ooh, score!" Lydia shouted happily. She eagerly pushed Link toward it. "C'mon, c'mon!"  
  
"Easy, easy," he said, smiling. "No rush. I know this is your ifavorite/i part, but the thing's not going to get up and walk away." Link opened the top of the chest just a bit, then gave the lid a shove, sending it swinging all the way open. The chest was bigger than he currenty was, so he had to lift himself up off the ground and lean halfway into the chest itself to be able to reach inside.  
  
"Ah, here we go," Lydia heard him say. He swung himself back out of the chest and was clutching a pair of large gauntlets. The tops of them were coated in real silver.  
  
The girl pointed excitedly. "Oh, ithat's/i what she meant, huh? Cool! ...Although... look how big those are. They'll never fit you."  
  
Link smiled. "Not as I am inow/i, no. ....But, we promised to give them to Nabooru."  
  
"Ah... crap. But we ineed/i 'em!"  
  
Just then, a loud shriek pierced the night air from somewhere down below.  
  
"Kyaa!! What.. What are you doing?!" Right after, the voice yelled again. "Augh! Let me GO!"  
  
Link and Lydia both ran to the edge of the platform and looked at the ground far below. The scene was immediately apparent. Just below the huge stone trilithon, two old, stereotypical witches were circling on flying broomsticks, around a ring of purple magic in the sand. In the middle of that magic, sticking up halfway out of the ground, was Nabooru, trying futily to struggle free. The magic dragged her down into the sand until she completely disappeared.  
  
Lydia gritted her teeth and started to run forward to dive off the platform, but Link grabbed her and held her back. She turned around and looked at him with shock, then back at the ground. The ring of magic faded and disappeared, and then the two witches swung their broomsticks around and sailed back through the front door of the temple, leaving the desert quiet again.  
  
The sorceress angrily struggled out of Link's grip and stood back. "What the hell?" she asked harshly. "Why'd you stop me? I could have saved her!"  
  
Link's face was unusually solemn. "...And risk severely altering our future?"  
  
Lydia opened her mouth to shout again, but suddenly stopped, realizing that he was right. What they just witnessed must have been how Ganondorf originally got control of Nabooru's mind. That, as they knew, would eventually lead to a lot of the things they experienced in the future. Interfering with that event would drastically change the future, not necessarily for the better.  
  
"...I'm sorry, you're right," she said quietly.  
  
The Hylian tucked the Silver Gauntlets safely behind his shield. "Don't worry about it." He looked up and smiled at her. "Besides, you already know it turns out well. Last I saw Nabooru, she was safe and sound at Lon-Lon Ranch with your brother."  
  
The girl smiled back at him. "...That idoes/i make me feel a little better. ...Still..."  
  
"I know."  
  
Lydia sighed and looked around them. The sun was dipping below the horizon now, darkening the surrounding desert quite a bit. She felt a sudden wave of depression sweep over her as she watched it set. Now that they had the Silver Gauntlets, there was no real reason for them to stay in this time. They would have to go back...and Ganondorf would have control of her mind again. What then? She wanted nothing more than to stay in this time, far away from the Evil King, but the more logical part kept telling her that it just wasn't possible. Things in the future were just too important right now to run away from.  
  
Still, she dreaded the thought of going back to the Temple of Time. ...Since it was getting dark, maybe they could wait until morning.  
  
"Hey," she said quietly. "...Do you think we could wait until tomorrow to--"  
  
"Yeah," Link replied before she even finished. "Let's get a night's rest first."  
  
Obviously, judging from the tone of his voice, he had the very same thing on his mind.  
  
Without saying anything, Lydia walked up behind him, took a firm hold on his waist, and cast her flight spell. She flew high over the desert in the general direction of Kakariko Village, where that traveler's house was waiting for them, even in this time. For the entire long flight to the other side of Hyrule, neither of the two said a single word.  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
Lydia opened her eyes, greeting the darkness again, as she had so many times already this night. She sat up in bed and fumbled for her glasses for several moments until she remembered that she didn't need to wear them when she was this young. She glanced over at Link, asleep in the bed against the wall. His green tunic was all tangled up, wrapped tightly around his small body. Lydia reached down and untwisted her own clothes, wishing for a moment that she had normal pajamas to sleep in.  
  
Not feeling sleepy at all, she quietly got out of bed and walked over to the window, and started staring at the full moon. It was so beautiful. She wished it would never go away. She wanted nothing more than for this night to last forever. She wished morning would never come.  
  
She thought of that awful recurring dream she had been having. Ever since Ganondorf took hold of her adult mind, it had become all the more realistic and frightening. What if it really came to pass? What would she ido/i?! What if she couldn't resist and ended up...hurting Link? She'd never be able to live with herself.  
  
She felt tears welling up and fought them off quickly. Crying would only wake Link up. She wanted to let him sleep... it might be the last time he'd get a restful night's sleep like this. At least, for a while.  
  
"Are you okay?" she heard Link ask.  
  
Lydia quickly turned around, a little startled, to find Link sitting up in bed, smiling at her. She forced herself to smile back. "...Did I wake you?"  
  
He shook his head. "Just having a little trouble sleeping."  
  
"...Me, too."  
  
They silently looked at each other for several moments, until Link lay back down. "You should try to get some sleep."  
  
Lydia scoffed. "Yeah, right. As if I could."  
  
Link watched her for a moment, then pulled his sheets back and smiled in an inviting way. "Come here."  
  
The girl didn't move at first, feeling herself blushing in the darkness. Then, a smile almost as warm as his appeared on her face, and she silently walked across the room. She crawled under the covers and rested her head on his pillow. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close, sighing contently. Within a matter of minutes, he had fallen asleep again.  
  
Lydia felt like crying again, but more out of happiness this time than worry or despair. As she started to feel sleepy for the first time all night, she decided that she iwould/i beat Ganondorf's hold on her, no matter what. Just before she finally fell asleep, for the first time in a long time, she was genuinely happy and worry-free. All was right with the world, and everything would ibe/i all right. She was sure of it now. With a slight smile on her face, Lydia drifted off into the world of dreams, and for once, they weren't nightmares.  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
The door to the little house creaked open, and a sleepy Lydia stepped out, squinting into the morning sunlight. Link followed close behind, tightly closing the door behind him.  
  
"Aahh," Lydia moaned. "Morning came way too fast."  
  
"It really did," Link agreed.  
  
"......Can we walk?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
They started out of the village and into the Field, walking toward Hyrule Market, and just beyond, the Temple of Time. They walked slowly, taking their time. Lydia held Link's hand the whole way. Neither said anything. They were just thinking their individual thoughts of things that were to come.  
  
Even at their slow pace, the Temple of Time appeared iway/i too soon for comfort. Time itself was moving too quickly. They weaved their way through the Market's usual crowds, not exactly getting upset if a big crowd blocked their path. Eventually, they were standing on the stone steps, facing the inevitable.  
  
"I'll...cast a sleep spell on myself first," Lydia said at almost a whisper as they entered the temple. "That way... you'll have time to get away before I'm out for blood again."  
  
Link nodded solemnly, saying nothing.  
  
As the Master Sword came into view, Lydia felt a lump gather in her throat, and forced it down again. Now wasn't the time to wuss out. She knew what she had to do.  
  
Link stopped at the edge of the platform and turned around, obviously less than eager to wake the Master Sword from its rest.  
  
Lydia worked up her courage and smiled at him. "I guess this is it, for now."  
  
The Hylian forced himself to smile back. "I guess so. ...For now."  
  
"Real quick, though..." Lydia started to walk forward, closer to him. "Last time I saw Zelda, I promised her something, and I have to deliver now while I stll can. ....Y'know, I was ireally/i hoping to get to do this with my adult body, but since there's a possibility I might not get another chance, I'd better not waste this opportunity. Bear with me, okay?"  
  
"Hmm?"  
  
Without saying anything more, Lydia reached forward and put both of her hands on Link's face, then leaned forward and kissed him.  
  
Link's heart skipped a beat and his mind stopped functioning right on the spot. His hands shook slightly in shock.  
  
Lydia pulled away after a moment, then leaned up to his ear and whispered into it.  
  
"I love you."  
  
She pulled away again, smiling, then stepped back a few paces. Using every shred of willpower she had, she put her hands on her own chest and hit herself with the white light of a sleep spell. When the glow faded, she slumped down to the stone floor, sound asleep.  
  
Link stood rooted on the spot like an idiot for several awkward moments until his brain started to come online again. He slowly sat down on the platform and rested his face in his hands, concentrating on forcing himself to stop shaking. Had that just happened? ...It had. As a single tear worked its way down his face, he realized that this was both the happiest moment of his life and the angriest moment of his life, and his body and mind were struggling with the effort of accomodating both at the same time. He was happy for the obvious reasons, but as a result, was also unbelievably angry at what Ganondorf was doing to her. More so than he had been even at first.  
  
He spent several quiet minutes sitting there, contemplating, trying to calm himself down. As his heart finally started to slow down, he silently swore on the spot that Ganondorf would pay for this. He swore it with every fiber of his being.  
  
Finally, he looked up and smiled at Lydia's sleeping form. "Unpredictable as always, I see," he said to her. "...Don't you worry about Ganondorf. I'll take care of ihim/i. ...I'll take care of everything."  
  
Link stood up quickly, walked over to Lydia, and lifted her up onto his back. "...Don't you worry," he said again as he walked over to where the Master Sword rested. He wrapped his left hand around the handle of the sword, and with all his strength, heaved it up out of the Pedestal.  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
"He wasn't at the Spirit Temple...," Gordon said to himself as he sailed around Hyrule Field, "so where iis/i he?!"  
  
It was right about then that he saw a familiar blue light shoot up from the North, where the Temple of Time used to stand. Suddenly, it all made sense, and the sorcerer changed direction immediately.  
  
He was sailing over where the Pedestal of Time stood within moments, and dove toward the ground, leveling off before hitting. As he touched down, he looked around. The Master Sword was gone and the platform was deserted, but Link was nowhere in sight. It hadn't been long - he couldn't have gotten too far.  
  
Suddenly, Gordon spotted him at the south end of the courtyard. He had somebody on his back that he was lowering to the ground now, underneath one of the dead trees. Gordon ran toward him, making sure to be loud enough that Link would hear him. When he got closer, he realized that it was his sister resting under that tree. She looked unconscious - was she hurt? ...No... He could feel the aura of a sleep spell. Had she cast it on herself?  
  
Link turned around and smiled as Gordon approached.  
  
"What happened?!" Gordon asked excitedly.  
  
The Hylian was silent for a moment, then he looked down at Lydia's sleeping form. "...A lot," he said quietly. He silently knelt down, brushed the girl's bangs aside, and kissed her forehead.  
  
Gordon raised an eyebrow. "...'A lot', indeed."  
  
Link stood up again and turned to face him. "She... cast a spell on herself so I would be able to get away. But... I.. I can't just leave her here."  
  
The sorcerer smiled as everything started to make sense. He had taken her back in time. Ganondorf must not have had control over her younger self. He patted Link on the shoulder. "Don't worry," he said assuringly. "She'll be okay. ...But if you want to have the peace of mind, I can set up a barrier."  
  
The Hylian nodded thankfully, then stepped out of the way.  
  
Gordon stepped forward, closed his eyes, and twisted his hands into a few different shapes. The soft glow of a wind barrier appeared around Lydia. She rolled over in her sleep, facing away from them.  
  
The sorcerer turned around and started to walk away. "It's weak, so she should be able to easily break free once she wakes up." He walked past Link, but the Hylian didn't follow right away. He stood right where he was, watching the girl. Gordon knew something had happened between them - something that was making Link overly hesitant to leave her. He reached up and put his hand on his companion's shoulder.  
  
"She'll be ifine/i," he said again. "...We really should get out of here before she wakes up. If she comes to, and we're still here, we'll have a big problem."  
  
Link said nothing, but eventually nodded and let Gordon lead him out of the courtyard. It wasn't until Lydia was completely out of sight that he started walking at a normal speed.  
  
"So," Gordon said, in an effort to get Link to think about something else. "Um... Nabooru is going to meet us at the Gerudo Fortress. She suddenly decided that she wants to go to the temple with us."  
  
"Oh, really?" Link asked dully, obviously only half-paying attention.  
  
"... So... You gonna tell me what happened yesterday?"  
  
The Hylian smiled, forcing himself to come out of his trance. "Yeah, yeah, sorry," he said. "...Uh, you sure recovered quickly."  
  
The sorcerer smiled proudly. "As soon as I was strong enough to cast spells, I went to work on repairing the damage. I'm more resiliant than you guys give me credit for."  
  
Link smiled. "You should have seen how upset Lydia was. She was really worried about you."  
  
"I'll bet. But you told her I was okay, right?"  
  
"Of course."  
  
"Then she's fine."  
  
"...And, I just noticed your glasses were fixed. I thought the glass had broken. How did you do that?"  
  
Gordon took that opportunity to take his glasses off and clean the lenses with his shirt. "Lydia taught me that spell, actually. It can't repair major damage, but works great with small objects." He replaced the glasses and pushed them up the bridge of his nose, then gave Link an inquiring look. "Seems I've missed a lot. Care to fill me in?"  
  
Link started telling Gordon the story of the previous day, only really telling what needed to be said. He left out a few things - specifically, things that happened between him and Lydia that Gordon didn't need to know every detail about. As they walked, the bright pink ribbon tied around the Master Sword flapped hopefully and confidently in the crisp morning wind.  
  
iJust a matter of time, Ganondorf,/i Link thought to himself between sentences. iI'm going to make you regret ever being born./i 


	34. Chapter 31

Link yawned widely and loudly as he flipped through the channels on Lydia's TV. "Man," he moaned to himself. "There's never anything good on this time of day. I'd hate to have to go and do something constructive."  
  
Suddenly, Lydia tore through the room, almost tripping over the leather ottoman. "Story time!" she shouted. "Story time! Story time! Writers block is gone!!" With that, she ran into the nearby bathroom.  
  
"What, finally? It's been a few months since you finished the last one. How long do you expect to keep people waiting like this? I mean, seriously."  
  
"They know a good story when they read one, and will stick around no matter how long it takes! Hurry up and gather your stuff so we can go!"  
  
"All right, all right." Link turned the TV off and picked up the phone, quickly dialing a number.  
  
"Hello?" the voice on the other end asked.  
  
"Gordon, hey. Link here. Listen, it finally happened. Lydia just sprinted through here yelling about the writer's block being gone, and we have to go RIGHT NOW."  
  
"...What, now? But this isn't really a good time..."  
  
"You wanna tell her that?"  
  
Gordon was silent for a moment. "...All right, I'll be over in a few minutes and then we'll go," he said, then quickly hung up the phone.  
  
Link opened the hall closet and started fumbling around for his equipment when he heard Lydia's irritated voice sail out from the bathroom.  
  
"Damn it!!" she yelled. "Where are those red contacts I've been using the last couple of chapters?!"  
  
"You had 'em last," Link called back.  
  
"I KNOW that! God, I hate when this happens! I'm always in a hurry, and I always forget SOMEthing, and then I have to-- Oh, here they are."  
  
"And the world was safe again."  
  
"Mock me all you want," she said as she rushed up to Link, grabbed his arm, and started pulling him toward the door. "Let's just hurry and go before I lose the inspiration!"  
  
"Wait, wait, Gordon's not here yet!"  
  
"We'll meet him halfway! Move it!"  
  
The door slammed behind them, and another too-long-awaited chapter of WA began.  
  
Author's note:  
This is a nice, long one, too. Worth the wait, I promise.  
Although, I hope some of it doesn't seem too rushed. Unfortunately, I had to fit A LOT into this chapter, and it felt like I went through a few things too quickly. I tried my best not to, but I can't help but think some of you may still think things feel rushed. If you end up being one of those people, I apologize, and hope you enjoyed the chapter anyway. sigh Too much story, too little space, too little time. ...Waaay too little time.  
  
Worlds Apart  
Chapter 31  
  
By Miss Lydia aka Goddess Rinoa  
  
(Author's note: For a better formatted version where the HTML actually works, please visit the fanfics section within the Fan Stuff of my website, Zelda Infinite. Since this site seems to self-destruct every time I try to link you there - this thing is getting more and more tempermental - you'll have to follow the link in my profile. Trust me, it's worth it. It's just more attractive over there. Thanks!)  
  
Forcing herself out of a daze, Lydia slowly opened her eyes. She gazed around her as she tried to shake off the sleepyness that hung over her like a fog. The Temple of Time ruins?  
  
As her head cleared, she tried to remember what had happened. That Hylian boy with the Triforce of Courage... He had worked some kind of magic on her before. She remembered the blue light... but between there and ending up asleep on the ground in the courtyard, she couldn't recall. And that only further angered her.  
  
She angrily looked around her, quickly realizing that the boy was ilong/i gone. After all, who knows how long she had been out? With a glance up at Ganon's Tower in the distance, she imagined Ganondorf nagging her to go and find him again. She snarled and began to stand up.  
  
Her forehead connected with something hard and she cursed loudly. Rubbing what would undoubtedly be a bump later, she realized she was encased in some kind of weak barrier. "What the hell?" she groaned out loud. Placing both hands on the barrier, she pushed hard, forcing her own magic into it. A matter of seconds later, the barrier shattered and disappeared.  
  
Lydia stood up straight. The sorcerer boy was moving already?, she asked herself. Did he honestly think such a weak barrier would hold her? Fool.  
  
She knew she would have to go and find him again. Chances were that he would head to the Spirit Temple again, obviously having business there that she got in the way of earlier. That was as good a place as any. And when she found him... There would be a world of pain.  
  
With that, she glared upward and took off into flight.  
  
The sun was approaching the noon position as Epona galloped away from the grassy areas of Hyrule Field and back into the desert valleys, carrying Link and Gordon on her wide back. Gordon admitted earlier that even though he iwas/i resilliant to the magic his sister had worked on him before, he was still severely weakened from the recovery, and had exhausted himself in his search for Link that morning. Luckily, Nervani was true to her word, and they had found Epona grazing in the Field not far from the Market.  
  
Link was just finishing up telling the story of the previous day at length, trying to not leave out any details about the Temple, so that Gordon would know what to expect. The sorcerer laughed each time Link told him about the times Lydia had panicked and thrown magic at something, obviously not surprised by that behavior.  
  
Once the story was over, Gordon thought silently for a moment about Nabooru.  
  
"So, it seems," he said, "that she was under Ganondorf's control for a long time... I didn't realize he had gotten to her that long ago."  
  
"It's rather sad," Link replied. "Lydia was really upset by the fact that she couldn't interfere in it."  
  
Gordon thought for a moment, then nodded, not needing further explaination. "...Of course. That may have severely altered today's events... Who knows what that could have caused...?" The boy smiled. "But, at least we know she's okay inow/i."  
  
"Right."  
  
The canyon appeared before them earlier than expected, and Link caught sight of the destroyed bridge. Or, at least, the bridge that iused/i to be destroyed. Link also saw a familiar group of carpenters working on the bridge that Nervani had cut through a couple of days earlier.  
  
The Hylian's eyebrows wrinkled with annoyance. There was no way to get past without attracting their attention, which was something they really didn't have time for... and if he remembered what it was like the first time...  
  
Link stopped Epona as they drew close, and one of the carpenters looked up at them. His mouth dropped open.  
  
"Hey! Hey hey heeeeeyy!! Look who it is!" he shouted excitedly, nudging one of his buddies so hard he almost fell off the bridge. "It's the cute kid from the other day!"  
  
Gordon raised an eyebrow and looked around at Link, who was grimacing slightly. "I take it you guys have already met."  
  
Link said nothing.  
  
The carpenter that almost fell into the canyon straightened himself and excitedly ran right up to Epona, who nervously pawed at the ground and edged slightly away.  
  
"K⁯id! Kid! You were so awesome the other day!"  
  
Another carpenter joined in, practically bouncing over to them. "Just when we thought we'd be stuck in that fortress forever, BAM! There you came to save the day, and--" The bearded man noticed Gordon, and pointed right at his face. "Hey, hey, heeeyy! It's the other one!"  
  
Gordon smiled awkwardly, trying to think of something to say.  
  
Link saved him the trouble. "You guys are already fixing the bridge?" he asked.  
  
The third carpenter left his tools behind and joined the rest. "Yah, man. That Gerudo leader woman that's been missing for some time suddenly showed up early this morning. She told us it was important to fix the bridge, then went on her way." The man's voice quieted and he started mumbling to himself. "...Although, it's a bit annoying that it has to be fixed twice in the same week..."  
  
The only carpenter left on the bridge finally left his post, ran up beside Epona, and took hold of Link's wrist. "Kid! What can we do to repay you for your awesomeness from the other day?"  
  
The Hylian gently pulled his arm out of the man's sweaty grip. "You guys could always let us cross the bridge..."  
  
The first man patted Link's other arm, shaking his head. "Oooh, no can do. Not with the horse. The repairs aren't fully complete yet and won't support that kind of weight. I mean, you sure could itry/i, but you'd end up on your way to the lake, I'd wager."  
  
Link couldn't help but smirk. "Last time you wagered on something that involved me," he said, "you ended up giving your friend money."  
  
The man grumbled.  
  
"Even so," Link continued, "it's probably best to leave her here anyway. She can't come where we're going."  
  
Gordon took that as the signal to climb down, and carefully did so, giving Link the room to swing his leg over and climb down himself.  
  
"So, where iare/i ya goin', kid?" the bearded carpenter asked as Link turned Epona around, dispite her mild protest.  
  
"West," was Link's vague answer. He gave Epona a sharp pat on the hindquarters, and she galloped away... but not before giving Link a slightly hurt look. He waved for Gordon to follow him, and the two started across the bridge.  
  
About halfway across, one of the large sweaty hands suddenly came down hard on Link's shoulder. "Hey hey hey! Stay for lunch, man!"  
  
Link turned slightly, brushing the man's hand away. "We're really in a hurry. Thanks, though."  
  
Another man approached Link, unconsciously forcing Gordon to step out of the way to avoid being shoved off the bridge. "C'mon! We made stew! My old lady's famous recipe!"  
  
The Hylian was looking slightly aggrivated now. "I really do appreciate the offer, guys, but it's gonna have to be another time.  
  
The first carpenter's excitement and eagarness went a little overboard as he went for Link's shoulder again. Forgetting that he was twice the boy's size, he pushed him a little too hard, forcing him to step backward. Only, when Link stepped back, the foot that was supposed to hold his weight ended up out in the open air above the canyon. Regaining his balance at this point with nothing to grab hold of was hopeless, and he toppled over the side of the bridge before he could even shout.  
  
All four carpenters yelled at once in shock, then gaped open mouthed as the quiet boy with the glasses dove off the bridge as well. They continued to watch, amazed, as he caught up with the Hylian halfway down to the river, and not only stopped the fall, but started to carry him back up. All of the large men were on the bridge now, watching as the two hovered in front of them, Link giving them a really critical stare.  
  
They all smiled awkwardly at him.  
  
The Hylian sighed and shook his head. "Another time," he said, then looked up at his flying companion. "Let's go."  
  
Gordon smiled, obviously trying not to laugh, then flew toward the Gerudo Fortress, leaving the embarrassed carpenters behind to finish their work.  
  
Once they were well out of sight of the canyon, Gordon dropped back down to the ground. Link gained his footing on the nice, safe ground, then brushed himself off with an annoyed groan.  
  
"What're they trying to do, kill me?" he grunted, looking at Gordon. "Thanks for the save." He noticed the sorcerer had his hands on his knees and was breathing heavily. "...You okay?"  
  
Gordon smiled and gave him a Lydia-style thumbs-up. "I'm still a little winded."  
  
When he finally straightened up and assured the Hylian that he was okay, they started to walk through the valley to where they remembered Gerudo Fortress to be.  
  
"I wouldn't be too hard on them," Gordon said with a smile and a badly disguised laugh. "They're obviously big fans of yours."  
  
Link put a hand to his forehead with slight exasperation, covering one eye. "I know, I know."  
  
"So, what's the story?"  
  
"When we split up at the Fortress last time, I ran into them. Apparently, the Gerudo women had locked them up. So, I.. you know."  
  
"Once a hero, always a hero, huh?"  
  
"I was just passing by."  
  
"Right."  
  
Link raised an eyebrow and gave the sorcerer a sarcastic look. "...What? I thought making fun of me was Lydia's job. Trying to fill in for her until she is back with us?"  
  
"I guess I'm not as good at it."  
  
Link looked down at the path, and smiled slightly. "No... You're not..."  
  
The sorcerer gave him a gentle punch in the shoulder. "Hey, I know you miss her, but she'll be back. You'll see."  
  
The Hylian smiled, but the smile quickly disappeared and he stopped in his tracks. He suddenly looked up into the sky in a slight panic, then grabbed Gordon's arm and pulled him into the dark shadows of the valley walls, ducking behind one of the large boulders.  
  
"Don't move," he whispered.  
  
Gordon turned his eyes skyward, and to his surprise, he saw his sister's form flying over right then. She wasn't flying in a staight line. It was obvious she was heading west, but she would go in one direction for a bit, stop and look around, then go off at another angle, look around, then continue on.  
  
After a few nervous minutes, Link decided it was safe to peel themselves from the rock, and they stepped back into the sunlight.  
  
"She's looking for us," he said quietly, staring off in the direction to which she had disappeared.  
  
"And she's probably as mad as a hornet," Gordon added. "...Do you think she's heading for the Spirit Temple?"  
  
Link nodded. "Probably. I have no doubt she assumed I'd be going there first."  
  
"...What'll we do if she finds us before we awaken the final sage?"  
  
"...I don't know. I just don't know."  
  
Just then, the two boys heard the loud beating of hooves somewhere up the path. Before long, Nabooru appeared atop a large black horse. She caught sight of them, and waved.  
  
"Did you see her just now?" she shouted to them as she pulled her horse to a stop. After getting solemn nods, she continued to speak. "I saw her fly over the Fortress and into the desert. She's obviously heading for the Temple. We'll have to tread softly on the way, so she doesn't find us."  
  
"I don't really see the likelyhood of her being able to spot us in that desert," Link said. "I've been there already. You can barely see your own hand in front of your face."  
  
"True. I'm more worried about what happens when we actually get to the Temple."  
  
"...Speaking of which, Nabooru," Gordon spoke up, "Why are you so intent on coming? You know it'll be dangerous, right?"  
  
The Gerudo woman laughed, quite entertained. "Of course. That's the idea." Her voice softened. "...Besides. I owe you all a lot. I know Lydia would want me to make sure you two don't get into trouble while she's gone." She looked directly at Link. "I told you I'd pay you back for that day all those years ago."  
  
The Hylian smiled. "Actually, that was just yesterday."  
  
Nabooru grimaced. "Boy, are you itrying/i to break my brain?"  
  
Gordon laughed.  
  
"Speaking of which," the woman continued, "Did you manage to get the gauntlets?"  
  
Link, realizing that he had icompletely/i forgotten about them, felt around behind his shield until he found the Silver Gauntlets. He started to give them to Nabooru, when she laughed and waved them away.  
  
"I don't need 'em, yet," she insisted. "Why don't you go ahead and hang on to them for now?"  
  
The Hylian smiled, knowing that was a subtle message that he should just keep them, and tucked them back with his other equipment.  
  
Nabooru turned her horse around and started to walk it back toward the Fortress, with the two boys following on either side.  
  
"While you two were off doing whatever, I have spent the whole time since I got back trying to convince the other women that our real enemy now is Ganondorf."  
  
"That must have been a hard sell," Gordon observed out loud.  
  
"Indeed. See, in the earlier days, around the time that I met Link and Lydia at the Spirit Temple, our main motivation for following Ganondorf was that he promised to lead our race to glory. The Gerudo have been somewhat of outcasts for a long time, and that sounded very appealing. I knew from the start that he was no good, hence my intent to mess up his plans. But the other women didn't see him as I did and blindly follow him, even to this day."  
  
Link looked up at her and asked, "So, when we get to the Fortress, are they still going to threaten to tear us apart or whatever?"  
  
Nabooru flashed a really wide, triumphant smile. "Not anymore. I spent hours talking in the main hall, after the initial 'Where the hell have you been Nabooru?' gaggle died down. I told them the entire story, from why I disappeared all that time ago to why they were being ordered to hold an unstable and obviously dangerous sorceress within the fortress for Ganondorf. It took some doing, but I think I have finally convinced most of them of what the truth is." The woman looked down at Link. "My good friend Nervani didn't even need my convincing. Apparently, you have already met a few times. She said that you actually managed to beat her in a sword fight. Is that true??"  
  
Link chuckled. "Actually, I think I bested her itwice/i... But I was lucky."  
  
"And the plot thickens! Y'know, I owe you thanks. Nervani is going to buy me some lunch in exchange for my not telling the other girls about it." Nabooru smiled very slyly.  
  
"How manipulative. Lydia would be proud of you."  
  
Nabooru looked ahead. "Speak of the devil."  
  
Just then, a second horse appeared from around a bend in the valley path. As soon as she saw the three standing in the road, Nervani smiled and waved. She stopped her horse in front of them and smiled at Nabooru.  
  
"I think I've convinced the remaining stragglers of what's really going on." She looked down at Link. "I think it'd be fairly safe to assume that you have the support of the Gerudo race in your efforts."  
  
The Hylian smiled back at her.  
  
Nervani narrowed her eyes. "...You're not gonna itell/i anyone... are you?"  
  
Link laughed. "Maybe I'll keep quiet if you buy me some food."  
  
After an annoyed groan, Nervani gave Nabooru a playful slap on the shoulder. "You're a bad influence on that nice boy."  
  
"You know me," was Nabooru's reply.  
  
Nervani pulled her horse alongside Nabooru's. "As long as we're here, we may as well give you boys a ride to the Fortress. It's still a ways, and the sun is high." She smiled down at Gordon. "See how nice we are?"  
  
Link climbed up onto the back of Nabooru's horse, trying not to crowd her too much, while Gordon joined Nervani.  
  
"Hey, you're kinda cute," Nervani told the sorcerer. "What's your name?"  
  
Gordon's face turned red, and he bashfully told her his name.  
  
"Well, Gordon... Wanna buy me lunch sometime?"  
  
Nervani waved from her place at the top of the ladder, beside the enormous gate leading into the desert as it creaked loudly and slowly rose. Once the gate was up, she agily slid down the ladder and looked at her friend Nabooru.  
  
"Are you sure you won't be needing help?" she asked.  
  
"We need to keep this down to as few people as possible," Nabooru replied. "It's already going to be hard enough to hide from the sorceress until we're ready for her."  
  
Nervani's face softened, and she looked at Link and Gordon. "I suppose what happened to her is partially our fault... If we Gerudo hadn't been so stupid as to not see what Ganondorf was really up to... we wouldn't have..."  
  
Link smiled slightly and raised a hand. "Don't."  
  
The woman smiled back. "...Okay, then... Just, rest assured... that if there's anything we can do to help... Just let us know." She quickly regained her confident composure and pointed at Link's face. "And don't forget that you still owe me that rematch!"  
  
"And you owe ime/i lunch."  
  
Nervani's arm changed course and pointed at Gordon. "Are iyou're/i gonna treat ime/i to lunch."  
  
Gordon forced a smile. "...Not sure how ithat/i happened, but..."  
  
"Right then!" Nervani shouted as she stepped backward and waved. "Take care and come back safe, okay? Remember, if you need ianything/i..."  
  
With that, she took off and disappeared into one of the Fortress entrances.  
  
The sorcerer looked at Link, who was smiling. "She's a weird one."  
  
"It's like I'm surrounded by Lydias," the Hylian replied with a laugh.  
  
Nabooru shoved him playfully. "Since you're so taken with that girl, I'll take that as a compliment." She turned toward the desert, and her expression changed.  
  
"...I feel ill winds blowing. We need to get there and get this thing finished."  
  
Gordon was the first to actually start walking. "Let's hope we don't run into Lydia before we get there."  
  
"I'd rather we didn't run into her at iall/i," Link said. "Not for now, anyway."  
  
"Will she fly low in the desert, looking for us?" Nabooru asked the Hylian.  
  
"And get sand in her hair? Probably not."  
  
"Then we'll worry about it when we get to the Temple."  
  
Gordon smiled at Link as they drew close to the blowing sands. "...You sure do seem more light-hearted about this than before."  
  
"I feel that I can be light-hearted about it," he replied, "because Lydia was light-hearted about it. Even though she was worried about what would happen, she still acted like herself, teasing me and yelling violently at monsters and such."  
  
"...There are some places that even Ganondorf's magic can't reach."  
  
"I certainly hope you're right."  
  
"Ooooh, Koume, do you feel it?" the cackling witch asked her twin sister. "More intruders in our desert!"  
  
"Ooooh, yes, Kotake," the other witch replied. "They're coming this way, they are!"  
  
Nestled deep in a back room of the Spirit Temple were a pair of identital-twin witches, Koume and Kotake, wielders of fire and ice magic, respectively. They served Ganondorf, and were the guardians of this Temple.  
  
"Shall we whip up something special for their arrival?" Kotake asked.  
  
"Ooooh, yes, Kotake, what a wonderful idea!"  
  
"But whatever shall we do?"  
  
"Let's find that Nabooru girl and have her wear the Iron Knuckle armor again! Remember what fun we had the first time we did that?"  
  
Kotake cackled with glee. "Ooooh, yes, Koume, I do, I do!"  
  
"Forget it," a third voice said sternly.  
  
The two startled witches whirled around to find a girl standing in the door frame with her arms crossed.  
  
"Who are you, girl?!" Koume shrieked. "How did you get in here without our noticing?"  
  
The girl looked at Koume. The firelight bounced from her glasses. "Because my magic extends beyond fire and ice, fool."  
  
"Tell me who you are!" Koume loudly demanded.  
  
"The name's Lydia. That creep Ganondorf probably mentioned me.  
  
Kotake poked her sister's shoulder with her broomstick. "Sister, dear, I seem to recall him mentioning that one of his underlings would be coming here."  
  
Lydia snarled. "There's that 'underling' crap again..."  
  
Koume planted her bony hands on her hips. "Very well, then. ...What business do you have here?"  
  
"I came to warn you about the group coming here. They're gonna--"  
  
"We know, little girl," Koume interrupted with a defiant smirk. "We felt them coming before you even got here."  
  
"Maybe, but did you know that one of them wields the sword of evil's bane and the other one has powerful Hyrulean shaminist magic at his disposal?"  
  
Both witches stared blankly at her.  
  
"...They'll kick your asses, y'know," Lydia declared.  
  
Kotake pointed a thin finger at the smiling girl. "I think you underestimate us, young one."  
  
"No, I don't think I do."  
  
"Why, you...!" Koume fumed.  
  
"Calm down, old ones," the sorceress said calmly. "I'm here to bail you out."  
  
"Kah! We have no reason to trust you!"  
  
"You have a ibig/i reason. He's tall, dark-skinned, and is pacing around Ganon's Tower waiting to bust you both up if you don't listen to me, his... 'underling', if you will, that is probably higher ranked than both of you put together on the Ganondorf Underling chain."  
  
Kotake twitched, and poked Koume. "I think she's got us there, sister dear."  
  
Koume looked at her sister, surprised, and shrieked, "What's that business of being higher ranked?! I've never even iseen/i her before!!"  
  
"But, sister dear, she's taking idirect/i orders from Ganondorf... Isn't that proof enough?"  
  
Koume mumbled angrily, but otherwise quieted down.  
  
"I don't take orders," Lydia pointed out, "I'm acting under my own will. But, yeah."  
  
"All right, all right, young one," Koume grumbled. "What will you have us do?"  
  
Lydia pushed off from the door frame and slowly, if not dramatically, paced into the room. "They'll be here soon. I will set up a nice welcome for them. ...Admittingly, the welcome might actually kill them. But, if it doesn't, I'll have at least tired them out, and you two will be better matched against them if they make it this far."  
  
Koume snarled at the girl. "How do you expect us to fight against them, even iif/i you 'tire them out'? We still have that shamanist to deal with! If he's as powerful as you say he is, how do you expect us to deal with that?"  
  
The sorceress rolled her eyes. "iBecause/i, I gave him a hell of a beating the other day. I'm surprised he's already up and walking. I wouldn't be worried about his magic right now. In his current state, he can barely pull off a simple flight spell. The iidea/i is to tire out the Hylian one with the Master Sword, so he'll be easier to beat."  
  
"...Our magic wouldn't work too well against something like the Master Sword. What are we supposed to fight him with?"  
  
"I'll bet you two are upset about losing Nabooru, huh?"  
  
Kotake whined loudly. "We just wanted to play with her a little longer!"  
  
"Good news. She's on her way here as we speak."  
  
The witch looked at Lydia for a moment, then waved her hand in the air, as if using some kind of magic. Her huge, bug-like eyes suddenly snapped open, and she grabbed Koume's arm. "She's right, sister dear!" she said excitedly. "I can feel the Gerudo girl's presense!"  
  
Lydia smirked and knelt down closer to the two little witches.  
  
"All right," she said slyly. "Here's what you're going to do."  
  
Nabooru was first to step into the dimly-lighted Temple. She moved with the grace and ease of someone that grew up in this kind of environment. Link and Gordon, however, weren't quite so, awkwardly shaking sand out of their clothes and their hair as they walked. Gordon even somehow mananged to get some in his shoes.  
  
"This sure brings back memories," Nabooru said nostolgically, gazing around the room from wall-to-wall. She pointed up to where the small hole in the wall was. "Hey, that's where we first met!" She smiled playfully at Link. "You were so small then. It's surprising how much you grew since then."  
  
Link walked past her, his eyes intent on the large block that required the "power of silver". "That's what happens after seven years," he said dully and uncaringly.  
  
Nabooru shrugged and started to follow him. "Fine. Be all work and no play, Mr. Boring."  
  
The Hylian stopped, then turned slightly to face her. "So... now iyou're/i trying to play Lydia's role in this group?" he asked with a smile.  
  
The Gerudo looked confused. "Am I? I was just being myself."  
  
Link shook his head and continued on toward the block. "...You're a ilot/i different than when we first met you, that's for certain."  
  
She stuck a finger in the air matter-of-factly. "That wasn't ireally/i me, though."  
  
"...That thing is ihuge/i," Gordon observed, completely changing the subject.  
  
The block that was covering the hallway was enormous. It towered over them all, and looked to weigh at least a ton or two.  
  
Link felt Nabooru poke him. "The gauntlets, boy. What are you waiting for?"  
  
He put his normal gauntlets back with the rest of his equiment and pulled out the Silver Gauntlets. Even in the absense of any kind of good light in this room, they still managed to find some and reflect it. Link slipped them on quickly, and suddenly felt an energy pulse through his arms. The feeling was incredible, and he couldn't help spending a moment gawking at his own hands. When Nabooru poked him again, Link took hold on the giant block, and pushed forward as hard as he could.  
  
The block slid along the floor surprisingly easily. The other two followed as Link pushed the block farther and farther through the hallway. After several lengths, the block suddenly dropped into a huge hole in the floor and came to rest as a nice bridge into the temple ahead.  
  
Link took a moment to crack his knuckles in a show-offy fashion. "Nice," he said.  
  
"Do you suppose Lydia was able to get into the temple without moving this thing?" Gordon wondered.  
  
They started to walk. "Maybe," Link said. "I'm sure Ganondorf knew of a couple of different ways in. Either way, it doesn't matter. She'll either meet us somewhere inside and try to beat us up, or follow behind us later now that the block is moved and try to beat us up.  
  
The sorcerer sighed. "I guess so."  
  
The large hallway abruptly ended with a doorway. The door was locked.  
  
Nabooru wrinkled her eyebrows. "...That's odd..."  
  
"I can try to blast it open," Gordon offered. "Although, it might make me useless for a while."  
  
"Save your strength," Link said in an unusually deep voice, approaching the door. "I'll handle this."  
  
With that, he took hold of the doorknob, sucked in a breath, and pulled it as hard as he could. With a loud crack, the door came right off its hinges. Link stood there, holding the door, facing his companions triumphantly.  
  
Nabooru laughed. "You're enjoying those gauntlets way too much, I think."  
  
"No such thing. Let's press on."  
  
Link dropped the door, and they all stepped through the open doorway into an absolutely massive room. Link recognized it immediately. It was that huge room he and Lydia had found while looking for the gauntlets - the one with the large statue in it.  
  
"I've been here before," he said. He pointed to a stairway on the other side of the room. "We went that way."  
  
"Right," Nabooru said. "It was a good guess. And we're gonna have to go ithis/i way." She pointed at the stairway directly above where they stood on the far-right side of the room.  
  
"What's that way?" Gordon asked.  
  
"Well, there are a couple of witches are in this temple, and--"  
  
"I remember," Link interrupted with a grimace. "They're the ones that--"  
  
"Yeah. ...Anyway, they're still here somewhere... In a room up through there." Nabooru pointed up at the face of the huge statue.  
  
Link followed her gaze, remembering that Lydia had noticed something strange about that statue's face the day before.  
  
"The path is behind the statue's face," Nabooru continued, "but obviously the face needs to be removed for it to be opened. All it needs is light to be reflected on to it, and it should crumble like dry sand."  
  
The sorcerer stepped forward. "Light, eh? iThat/i is something I should be able to pull off."  
  
Nabooru shook her head. "No, no, sweetie. It needs inatural/i light."  
  
Link raised an eyebrow. "...Just ihow/i are we supposed to get natural sunlight in here?"  
  
"Look up there," the woman said, pointing up to the ceiling. A large square section of the ceiling in front of the statue seemed to be separated from the rest. "That's a platform that can be lowered from the room above. In ithat/i room, is a large opening in the ceiling."  
  
"Hmm...," Gordon murmured. "Even if we get that platform down, how do we reflect the light onto the face? The only one of us that would habitually carry a mirror would be Lydia, and I doubt she's gonna help us with this."  
  
Nabooru smiled again and redirected her gaze back to the stairway she pointed out earlier. "If we go that way, we can get the Mirror Shield."  
  
"Mirror Shield?" Link repeated, suddenly ingrigued.  
  
"Mm-hmm. A strong shield coated with a mirror. Not only could you reflect light with it, but it's an invaluable tool to fight those witches with. To weaken them, you'll have to reflect their own power back at them."  
  
"You sure seem to know a lot about this, Nabooru," Gordon said.  
  
"Well, as you know, I've been in the business for a while. But now that I quit, I can spill all the dirty little secrets I want."  
  
"That's what Ganondorf gets for not giving you a good health insurance plan, huh?"  
  
Link and Nabooru both stared at him.  
  
"...Sorry, lame joke," the sorcerer said, looking at the floor. "Let's get going. Lydia's bound to be wandering around here somewhere, and we're making easy targets of ourselves by staying in one place too long."  
  
And so, the group made quick work of the stairway, reaching the door on the top that was almost identical to its twin on the other side of the room. The exception being that this one wasn't magically sealed like the other one was. It actually opened rather easily, which was disappointing to Link, who was still on the testosterone high of having brutishly ripped that other door out its frame, and was looking for something else to destroy. ...He began to understand, just slightly, why Lydia enjoyed blowing doors open so much.  
  
Through the doorway, they found yet another widing stairway. Nabooru confidently led the way, as if she had been this way dozens of times before. The stairway wound around until they found themselves in another massive room. Judging from the way the stairs were designed, this room was directly above the one they had just left. On the ceiling was what looked like a large opening - or what remained of a large opening. Where it looked like the opening ishould/i have been, it was covered by rock. On the floor was a large square sectioned off from the rest - the platform in the ceiling. Across the room was a small doorway leading to a dark hallway.  
  
Nabooru cursed loudly, glaring at the rock slab covering the hole in the ceiling. "Who did ithat?!/i" she yelled as the group made their way to the center of the room. She angrily pulled at her hair and stomped on the ground for a moment before coming to her senses and looking at Gordon. "...Do you think you'd be able to blow a hole through there?"  
  
Gordon studied the rock. "...iMaybe/i... Not as easily as I'd like, but if I have the time to work up the necessary strength, I probably could."  
  
The Gerudo woman sighed. "Okay... Okay, no big deal. Good, good." She pointed to the doorway on the other side of the room. "That leads to several different passages that take you to different places around the temple, but most of them have since been sealed off, including the one that leads to the witches' quarters, which is why we have to go the long way. There's actually only two left open right now - the one that leads to the temple's entrance... Wait, no, that one was sealed, too. So.. only the one." She paused, smiling at Link. "The one that leads to where the Mirror Shield is stored, as well as to the switch to lower this platform into the room below."  
  
"Well, we'll have to get that shield to get ianything/i done," Gordon said, "so let's go."  
  
They started to walk. Link followed, but he seemed worried. "...Something's not right."  
  
"Come again?" Nabooru asked, stopping.  
  
"Don't you think this is all too easy? Why hasn't anything happened yet?"  
  
Right on cue, the room started to shake.  
  
Nabooru had a startlingly Lydia-like look of sarcasm on her face, she yelled harshly at Link. "Damn it, boy, you jinxed it!"  
  
Link quickly ran over to where his comrades stood, keeping his balance much better than either of the other two. The floor on the side of the room they had come from started to change form and rise. More and more of it separated from the rest of the room and started to take a shape. The shape looked like that of a minature dragon. 'Miniature' meaning, of course, that it was only about twenty feet tall.  
  
"...Great..." Link muttered bitterly.  
  
"That's... that's a golem!" Gordon shouted.  
  
"A golem? What's a golem?"  
  
"A rock monster created from shamanist magics. The only one other than me that can do that is..."  
  
All three turned around at once, realizing it at the same time. In the small doorway behind them, which was now sealed off by a magical barrier, was Lydia, smiling at them with her arms crossed, her red eyes piercing right into them.  
  
Link's stomach dropped.  
  
She giggled girlishly from the safety behind her barrier. "I've been practicing my Vu Vraimer. Like my little golem?" Her eyes narrowed and her expression changed. "...Have fun." She walked backward slowly and disappeared into the darkness.  
  
Link was about to call after her when the golem took a step forward, shaking the room again. He concentrated on it as it glared down at them, waving its stone tail back and forth threateningly.  
  
"Gordon?" the Hylian called. "Do you know how to idestroy/i a golem?"  
  
"Yes, I do," the sorcerer replied, "but I'm not currently in any physical shape to pull it off. Just... um... Keep it busy! I'll think of something!"  
  
"Keep it ibusy?!/i" Nabooru shouted. "What are we supposed to do, throw a stick?!"  
  
"Just keep it away from ime/i while I work something up!"  
  
Link looked back at Nabooru, who was so exasperated she couldn't even speak. "No choice!" he shouted before taking off toward the golem.  
  
"...Gah!" Nabooru groaned loudly, and then took off the other way.  
  
The golem growled loudly as the two little people approached him. It appeared to be having trouble deciding which of them to go after.  
  
Nabooru jumped up and down, waving her arms. "Hey! Hey, you big salamander!" She started in spite of herself as the golem set its sights on her, turning away from Link.  
  
Link took that opportunity to see what Gordon was doing. He had his head bowed and seemed to be chanting a spell.  
  
The dragon golem swung its huge tail toward Nabooru, who agilly flipped out of the way, and the tail sailed harmlessly into the far wall. ...Well, almost harmlessly. Several parts of the wall fell free from the rest and crashed to the floor.  
  
Gordon suddenly shouted. "Both of you get back here quickly!'  
  
Nabooru did a fancy roll right between the golem's legs and made a break for where Gordon was standing. Link met them there.  
  
"Got a plan?" the Hylian asked.  
  
Gordon spoke quickly as the golem started to regain its balance after the swing of the heavy tail and turn toward them. "Stone is weakest against ice. If we could freeze it, it would shatter under its own weight. But, I'm not strong enough yet, so I'm going to have to try something else." He clapped his hands together, then threw them down on the floor. "I'll try to melt it!"  
  
The golem growled at them and stomped forward, shaking even more parts of the broken wall free.  
  
The sorcerer started to chant. "i style="color: #0088FF"Infinite earth, mother who nurtures all life, let thy power gather in my hand!/i b style="color: #0088FF"Vlave Howl!/b"  
  
A straight line of the floor between them and the golem suddenly turned red and broke apart, and a large circular area around the monster glowed red as it began to melt into lava. If he could melt the floor, Gordon thought, he could melt the golem!  
  
However, just as the floor under and around the golem started to liquify, the spell ended prematurely. The stone hardened as it was and returned to its normal color.  
  
Gordon dropped to the floor and panted loudly. "I...can't even do... the Vlave Howl!?"  
  
"...Oh, boy..." Link muttered as he looked at the golem, which was momentarily testing its weight on the floor. When it assured itself that it wasn't going to move anymore, the golem growled and started forward again.  
  
Nabooru's voice squeaked from behind them. "...We're dead."  
  
Lydia walked down the dark hallway, lightly whistling to herself, using the light of a spell to see. She wanted to hurry and get back to the room where the witches hung out, but now that golem she created was blocking the way. There was supposed to be another way that was sealed in these halls somewhere, so she decided she would find it and re-open it - by force, if need be.  
  
What a delightful little golem she had created. She had never been ithat/i great with the shamanist branch of the Hyrulean magics, but she sure pulled that one off, and was pretty proud of herself. Normally, a golem like that could easily be destroyed by freezing it with a powerful ice spell like the Van Rehl - also shamanism - but with that boy in such poor condition, he'd never be able to pull it off. They'd just futilly whack at the golem for a while until it cornered them and crushed them. The room was big, but not ithat/i big. They could only avoid it for so long.  
  
While Lydia was congratulating herself, a room suddenly appeared on her right. Not about to ignore her curiosity, she held the light spell up to the doorway. It was a relatively small room, and was empty - save for the big, obvious treasure chest in the back.  
  
"...Who would stick treasure ithere/i without any sort of protection... or even concealment?" Lydia laughed to herself, and started to walk into the room. Before she even completed the first step, her face came in contact with what felt like a wall. She staggered backward, a little stunned. After quickly making sure her glasses weren't broken, she approached the doorway again, and gently held her hand out. Right away, she found the wall again. It was a barrier, but not like a barrier that her magic would create.  
  
"I see. Not as easy as first glance, huh?" The girl smiled to herself. "Fine. I like a challenge."  
  
She touched the barrier with her left hand as she used her other hand to make the light spell hover above her, and felt something surge through it. A mark of the Triforce glowed slightly on the back of her hand.  
  
"Hmm? ...Ohhh, I see how it is," the girl said to herself with a sly smirk. "Not just ianybody/i can get that treasure, huh?"  
  
She placed both hands on the invisible wall and concentrated hard, calling upon the power of the Triforce of Wisdom, willing the barrier to break. Expecting this wall to put up a fight, she called up all the power that she could muster. But it seemed that the wall didn't need much convincing, because it shattered so easily that Lydia completely lost her balance and fell right into the room, sending up a cloud of dust.  
  
She sat up, annoyed, and coughed a couple times. "...Wonderful."  
  
Pulling the light spell into the room, Lydia made it over to the chest, which was otherwise unprotected, save but for a small lock, which had no chance against a little lighting magic. The girl lifted the heavy lid and prepared to collect the spoils.  
  
At the bottom of the chest was a large, red-colored shield. The entire front of it was covered with a brilliantly shiny mirror with the design of a crescent moon engraved into it.  
  
The girl's eyes danced. "Whoo!! I'll bet I could hock this off for a pretty penny!" she said gleefully as she lifted the heavy shield from the chest and swung it over her shoulders, much the same way the Hylian boy did. She hated the guy, but hey, he idid/i know how to efficiently carry his equipment.  
  
After collecting the reward for her minor detour, she walked back into the dark hallway again in time to hear a loud smash from the large room she had left before.  
  
"...What did that golem do? Punch the wall or something?" she asked out loud, then started to continue down the hallway.  
  
But then, she stopped. She heard somebody yell in pain as they were thrown into a wall. She heard the golem stomp around some more. A pang of guilt worked up in her stomach, and she turned around, an extremely worried look on her face. ...Maybe the golem was too harsh, she thought. Getting crushed under several tons of rock would... really hurt...  
  
Images suddenly flooded her head. She saw the Hylian boy, the sorcerer...and herself, happily spending time together... fighting battles together... What was this? Something was trying really hard to be...remembered...  
  
The girl caught herself mid-thought. "What the hell is wrong with you?" she asked herself aloud. "Have you lost your damn mind? After the deed is done, you can go back, claim your Triforce of Courage, and have the last laugh on that dumb Ganondorf." She started to walk again.  
  
And then stopped again. Then walked again. Then stopped, turned around, and sprinted back the way she had come.  
  
It didn't take long for her to reach the door, stopping right before the spot where the had cast the barrier. Looking through the doorway, she saw the Gerudo woman slumped down by one of the walls. She was conscious, but didn't look like she'd be standing any minute soon. The sorcerer boy stood by her, trying to cast a spell, and after a failed attempt, slumped to the floor, exhausted. The only one left standing was the Hyilan, battered and bruised, standing protectively in front of the other two as the golem approached.  
  
Lydia gritted her teeth, not out of excitement or suspense, but out of worry. She gently placed both hands on her barrier and quietly dispelled it. She looked on as the golem growled loudly at the Hylian, and with a swing of its tail, sent him sailing to the far corner of the room.  
  
The sorceress balled a fist. Something was seriously wrong here... She created this golem to do exactly what it was doing... So why did she feel so...?  
  
Her train of thought stopped there as she watched the golem stomp toward where the Hylian was trying pathetically to stand again. Her heart dropped as the golem raised its massive leg right over him.  
  
Before she could even stop herself, a whirl of magic blew around her and then across the room. "b style="color: #aa00aa"Air Valm!!/b" she shouted.  
  
A wind barrier instantly formed around where the Hylian had fallen, and the golem's massive stone foot came right down onto it. The golem, being the simple-minded thing that it was, lost its balance when its foot hit something solid before it was supposed to, and it fell backward to the floor, shaking the entire room again.  
  
Before the dust even settled, Lydia's hands quickly formed seals, then slammed to the stone floor. "b style="color: #aa00aa"Van...Rehl!!/b"  
  
Thin strings of pure ice webbed across the floor with quicker-than-the-eye speed, wrapping around the golem. Struggle as it may, it was quickly enveloped in a thick layer of ice and could no longer move. Moments later, an arm fell off. Then the tail. The rest of the body quickly followed, breaking into small pieces, then turning to dust and returning to the stone floor from which it came.  
  
The room was quiet once more.  
  
Before the realization of what she had just done hit her, Lydia caught sight of the Hylian's face, staring at her in an undescribable way. The girl's eyes shifted to the other side of the room, where she found the other two sitting up and looking at her, amazed.  
  
Suddenly, an incredible surge of pain shot through her head. She held her head with both hands, let out a brief scream of pain, then turned around and bolted back through the hallway as fast as her legs would take her.  
  
"iLydia!!/i" Link yelled after her, and began to run. Nabooru caught him halfway to the door and threw herself in his path. Link tried to manever past her, but the woman would have none of that, and stood fast.  
  
"Don't follow her," Nabooru warned with an usually serious voice. She turned her head to look toward where the girl had stood moments before.  
  
Gordon appeared beside them, limping slightly. "That was amazing... She's resisting the magic ithat/i well?"  
  
"Which is exactly why we have to let her go."  
  
Link shifted his weight nervously. "...I don't understand! She was..."  
  
"I know, I know..." Nabooru said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Like the boy said... she's resisting the magic on her own, but it's causing severe emotional trauma. Ganondorf's magic and her own magic are pretty much having a battle inside her head. I... remember what it was like, as Ganondorf's grip on me loosened and Lydia's magic fought its way in, all that time ago. If you were to follow her while she was confused like this, it might do some damage. We have to let her work through this on her own."  
  
"Yeah, but..."  
  
"Let her go. ...It'll be okay."  
  
Link sighed.  
  
Gordon smiled reassuringly. "I think she's right, Link. What I saw a moment ago convinced me that Lydia's going to be able to beat this on her own. She just needs time."  
  
"I hope so. I...can't stand much more of this."  
  
"So, let's go find that shield, and go find the witches. ...Maybe Lydia will join us later, huh?"  
  
Nabooru started to lead the way. "C'mon. The Mirror Shield is stored in a room not too far in."  
  
Suddenly, Link stiffened again and reflexively grabbed hold of his sword. Before anyone could react, a huge Wallmaster suddenly dropped down on him, knocking him to the floor. It picked him up a few feet, then threw him across the room. On the way back, it threw itself into Gordon, sending him in the other direction. Then, it stopped, and stared at Nabooru with unseen eyes.  
  
Nabooru stood fast and tried to look threatening. "Go away! Shoo! Shoo! Nobody called you here!"  
  
The Wallmaster hissed loudly at her and crouched down, preparing for a pounce.  
  
"Well..." Nabooru muttered to herself. "...That iused/i to work..."  
  
The creature threw itself into her, wrapping all of its fingers around her. Instead of jumping back to the ceiling, it seemed to fly forward, disappearing into the dark hallway, pulling the screaming Nabooru along with it.  
  
Link was on his feet a second later and sprinted into the darkness as fast as he could run, trying to follow Nabooru's voice - not even his Hylian eyes were doing any good in this darkness.  
  
After about a solid minute of running, he suddenly ran face-first into something rock solid, and blacked out as soon as he hit the floor.  
  
Lydia was curled up on the floor of the room where she had found the Mirror Shield, holding her head as the pulses of pain occasionally went through. Every time it happened, she saw images in her head of times she had since forgotten. That Hylian boy was in most of them.  
  
Eventually, the pain subsided for the most part, and she sat up again, leaning against the wall. What was happening to her? Why was it happening? Was it some sort of magic?  
  
As she was about so stand up again, something large whizzed past the room, carrying the Gerudo. The Hylian soon zipped past the doorway, as well. A moment later, the sorcerer brought up the rear, holding a light spell.  
  
Lydia crawled to the doorway and peered out into the hallway, but all three had disappeared into the darkness ahead. All was silent.  
  
"Seems the witches took that chance to take the Gerudo girl," she thought to herself. "...Speaking of which... I had better get back there..."  
  
She stood on shaky legs and walked out into the hallway. She originally was going to take the sealed way to the witches' room, but that would probably require crossing paths with those two boys again, and if they were the source of this mental insanity she was currently experiencing, she wanted nothing to do with them for now.  
  
The girl started to make her way back to the room where she had summoned the golem, keeping one hand on the wall for support. About halfway back, she stopped, and put her hand on a particular brick on the wall there. The brick receded into the wall, and the sounds of some kind of large mechanism working in the golem room reached her ears. Continuing onward, she reached the original room a few minutes later, finding the platform in the floor had lowered into the room below, supported by four large chains.  
  
She stood at the edge of the large hole, looking up at the stone slab that covered the large hole in the ceiling. She scoffed at it briefly, then sent a solid Damu Brass at it, condemning it to a multi-pieced fate. Bright sunlight flooded the room, and the girl lowered herself down to where the platform now hung.  
  
Squinting slightly in the massive amount of sunlight that now filled the enormous room, Lydia swung the Mirror Shield around and directed some of it at the face of the large statue, which right away crumbled almost completely, revealing a large door behind it. The girl flew over there, opened the doorway, and staggared into the familiar room, lit by torches.  
  
She found both of the witches in fighting stances, lowering their broomsticks when she entered.  
  
"Oh, it's just iyou/i," Koume grumbled.  
  
"...Sorry to disappoint..." Lydia replied, almost at a whisper, continuing to sway weakly as she walked.  
  
Kotake let out a little cackle of surprise. "Oh, look, sister dear! The young one was able to get through that troublesome barrier and get the Mirror Shield!" The witch with the icy blue jewel on her forehead held out a bony hand. "Why don't you go ahead and turn that over to us? We'll make sure it's properly destroyed."  
  
Lydia edged away protectively. "...Mine..."  
  
The witch recoiled her hands. "Oh... Well, whatever suits you, young one."  
  
The sorceress walked past them, and disappeared through a large door in the back.  
  
Kotake poked Koume. "...Sister dear, was it just me, or did the girl seem... disoriented? Do you think something happened to her?"  
  
Koume scoffed. "Who cares?"  
  
"Is it all right for her to keep the Mirror Shield?"  
  
"As long as the one with the Master Sword doesn't have it, I don't care." The fire witch turned toward Nabooru's unconscious form in the corner of the room. "Besides, we have more important things to worry about right now."  
  
"Ooooh yes, sister dear, you are right, of course."  
  
"Let's get to work, Kotake," Koume said, raising her broomstick.  
  
Link slowly opened his eyes, and saw Gordon standing over him, holding a light spell. He found himself flat on his back on the cold stone floor.  
  
"...What happened?" he groaned.  
  
Gordon's eyebrows wrinkled. "You found a dead end. ...With your face."  
  
"...How long was I out?"  
  
"I'd say at least twenty minutes."  
  
"And Nabooru?"  
  
"Gone. I've already looked everywhere. They seem to have completely disappeared."  
  
Link started to sit up, holding his face as if trying to move things back to where they belonged.  
  
"And...," Gordon continued. "I hate to be the bearer of more bad news, but... it looks like somebody already took the Mirror Shield."  
  
The Hylian balled a fist, and then slammed it angrily on the floor.  
  
"We'll think of something else," the sorcerer said reassuringly.  
  
"Something needs to go right... iSomething/i needs to go right..."  
  
"It will," he said as he helped Link stand. "Things can only get better from here."  
  
They started to walk back toward the room with the platform, since that was pretty much the only place to go. Gordon led the way with his light spell.  
  
"So you said the Mirror Shield was gone?" Link asked.  
  
"I found an empty chest that seemed big enough to hold something that large, and further searching yielded nothing. I can only assume that the shield used to be there and somebody has already taken it. For now, we need to find a way to get that platform lowered so we can get to where the witches are supposed to be."  
  
When they stepped into the room, the huge hole in the ceiling was immediately apparent, and the platform had already been lowered.  
  
"...Whoa," Gordon said, stunned. "Somebody saved us the trouble."  
  
"But, who could've...?"  
  
The two looked at each other.  
  
"Come to think of it," Gordon half-whispered, "in the room where the chest was, I thought I found remains of a magical barrier, but there was really no way of telling how old the fragments were. It ifelt/i somewhat recent..."  
  
"And as I so brilliantly discovered earlier," Link added, "that hallway is a dead end."  
  
"Plus, there's probably only one other person around here besides me that could blow a hole through that rock... and I iknow/i it wasn't ime/i."  
  
Link started ahead. "Hurry. We can't be too far behind."  
  
The sorcerer took hold of Link and lowered them both down to the platform below. It came to their attention right away that the statue's face had been reduced to dust. Visible behind where the face used to be was a large stone door. Gordon flew them over there, and set Link down right in front of it.  
  
Link placed a hand on it. "...Looks like it has been opened recently. She came through here, all right." He faced his companion. "...You ready?"  
  
Gordon shook his head.  
  
"Neither am I. Let's go." With that, he heaved the large door open and stepped through.  
  
Closing the door behind them, the two found themselves in a large room. Not nearly as large as the last one, but it was decently sized, and was lit by torches along the walls. There was a large open doorway in the back.  
  
In the center of the room stood a large suit of armor, just like the one Link had seen the previous day. In front of the suit, facing away from them, were two small forms.  
  
One of them suddenly cackled loudly and turned to face them. She had bulging eyes, a huge nose, and a large red jewel on her forehead. "Looks like we have visitors, Kotake," she said.  
  
The other turned around. This one looked identical to the first, save for the blue jewel instead of the red. "Ooooh yes, Koume, you are right," she replied.  
  
"The witches," Gordon whispered in Link's ear.  
  
Both of the witches started to hover in the air on their broomsticks. "How bold they are," Koume sneered, "to come into our home uninvited like this, eh, Kotake?"  
  
"Ooooh yes. We should teach them a lesson, Koume."  
  
They backed off to where the suit of armor stood.  
  
"Oh, loyal minion," Koume said. "...Destroy these two for us!"  
  
With that, both witches disappeared in little puffs of red and blue smoke.  
  
The suit of armor started to move. It started forward, put its arms up in the air threateningly... then suddenly stopped and looked at its hands, as if just noticing they were empty. It raised its right hand, snapped the fingers, and in a flash of light, an enormous ax appeared in its grip. It raised the ax high and resumed its threatening position.  
  
Gordon took one step backward. "...Okay, that's really bad."  
  
Link stood fast, unsheathing his sword. "Don't panic. Lydia and I faced one of these when we were here last. If we can just get that top layer of armor off, it's pretty easy to cut down."  
  
All of a sudden, the armor suddenly sprinted forward with unbelievable speed and threw its ax down where the boys had stood seconds before - both of them had jumped to either side.  
  
"Okay, ithat's/i the catch," Link yelled to Gordon. "This one is faster."  
  
The armor suit stood rooted in place, looking back and forth, obviously trying to decide which one to go after. Link whistled at it loudly, drawing its attention. It turned and started stomping toward him.  
  
Gordon caught sight of a paid of red, criss-crossed suspenders on its back, obviously holding the outer shell in place.  
  
The armor broke into a sprint and took a swing at Link, who rolled away. The ax made a huge gouge in the wall, and it took a moment for the suit to recover its footing. Link took a swing at the red suspenders, but instead of turning to swing at him with the ax, the armor swung its other arm around the opposite way, slamming the Hylian right in the torso, sending him flying to the other side of the room.  
  
Link lay on his side for several seconds, gasping for air. That blow had completely surprised him. The last one of these monsters he had fought wasn't nearly that flexable, or quick. Why was this one so different?  
  
He looked up to find the armor suit standing over him, glaring. As it was about to position itself to bring its ax down on its target, a small chunk of the wall it had cut into earlier flew from behind it and bounced off the back of its head. It spun around angrily and glared at Gordon with its white glowing eyes.  
  
Using the distraction, Link forced himself to stand, and with one swift motion, he cut through the vulnerable suspenders in the monster's back. The outer layer of silver armor fell to the stone floor with a loud clang. The suit spun around again after a moment of surprise, but Link had already moved around it and was standing back where Gordon was, holding his sword at the ready.  
  
"Okay," the Hylian said with a smile. "One carefully-placed strike should finish it off." He was about to run forward when Gordon's hand suddenly grabbed his arm.  
  
"Wait," the boy warned. "Something isn't right."  
  
"Meaning?"  
  
Gordon stared at the suit intently as it started to approach them, studying it...  
  
Link began to get nervous. "Quickly now, it's icoming/i," he pressed.  
  
"Okay, I'm going to cast a spell while you cut it down, but don't kill it. Knock the helmet off...icarefully/i..."  
  
The Hylian stared at him, completely bewildered.  
  
"Instead of striking to kill... I simply want you to knock that helmet off after my spell is finished."  
  
"..."  
  
"Trust me."  
  
"You know I do."  
  
Gordon smiled and held his hands out in front of him. "You'll know when to strike."  
  
The suit of armor lost its patience right about then. Holding its enormous weapon above its head, it grunted loudly and charged them.  
  
The sorcerer acted, throwing out a veil of white magic at the approaching enemy. "b style="color: #0088FF"Flow Break!/b" The magic wrapped itself around the suit, and it stopped right in its tracks. It appeared to suddenly weaken, even appearing slightly confused, and began to stagger.  
  
Link knew what that spell. He had seen it many times before. But why would Gordon use...  
  
Suddenly, he understood what was going on, and knew what he had to do. The moment the creature started to stagger, he sprinted forward, holding the Master Sword out to his side. In what felt like slow motion, Link leapt through the air, and with expert swordsmanship, hooked the bottom of the helmet with the tip of the blade. As he sailed past the monster, he followed through with the strike, lifting the helmet up from the rest of the suit and sending it flying to the other side of the room.  
  
Another large piece of the armor fell free from the rest. One of the arms came apart, followed by both legs. When the breastplate feel free and clanged to the floor, the person hidden inside became obvious. As Link landed after his jump and swung around to face what was left of the suit of armor, Nabooru weakly fell to her knees, dazed and obviously confused.  
  
Gordon's legs gave out and he crumpled to the floor, completely spent.  
  
The Gerudo woman slowly looked up. "...Wh...Where am I?"  
  
Link was about to speak when he felt the now-familiar presense of the witches. Right on cue, they appeared in the room again with puffs of red and blue magic, on either side of Nabooru.  
  
Koume was first to speak. "Well, it seems the spell has broken, doesn't it, Kotake?"  
  
"Ooooh yes, you are right, Koume," the ice witch replied.  
  
"Perhaps we should have her work for the great Ganondorf a little longer."  
  
"Ooooh, good idea, sister dear!"  
  
Both witches reared their broomsticks back and gathered magic into them. Nabooru tried to run, but the witches threw the magic at her before she got far. She was struck in the back, and disappeared in a flash of white light. Koume and Kotake quickly spun around and did their own disappearing trick, leaving nothing behind but their red and blue smoke.  
  
The room was quiet again, save for Link's angry swearing about how everything was going wrong.  
  
Gordon pushed himself up into a sitting position. "There was nothing that could have been done. It happened too fast."  
  
"I can't take this anymore!" the Hylian fumed loudly, stomping toward the large doorway in the back of the room. "We're gonna find those witches inow/i, and we're going to ifinish/i this. I'm tired of running around in here, getting kicked around, and having everything take turns for the worse!" When he was almost to the door, he stopped and turned around in time to see Gordon try to stand, only to fail and end up back on the floor again.  
  
Feeling like an ass, Link turned around and went back to help him up. He swung the sorcerer's arm around his shoulders and lifted him to his feet.  
  
"I'm sorry," he said. "...You know... My temper hasn't always been that short."  
  
"Lydia's a bad influence on you," Gordon replied with a laugh.  
  
"Tell me about it."  
  
The sorcerer looked worriedly around the room. "Nabooru could be anywhere by now..."  
  
Link started to walk, carrying most of Gordon's weight. "Those witches can't be far. I'm sure they'll tell us what they did with her. They'll just need a little...persuasion."  
  
The large, open doorway led through a dark, high-ceilinged hallway that ended very abruptly. It opened up into the largest room they had seen thus far in the temple. It was practically the size of a battle arena, with a high ceiling, dimly lit by dozens of torches lining the walls. Four large platforms rose from the floor on each of the four sides of the room. In the center of those four platforms was an even larger platform, about half the width of the room itself. On all sides of all of the platforms were handles and footholds, obviously for climbing the twenty feet or so to the flat top.  
  
The room was completely silent.  
  
Link didn't see any other ways in or out of this room - a dead end. If the witches came this way, they would have to still be in here somewhere. ...In addition, if they were right about Lydia coming this way before, she might also be nearby. When he was about to mention this fact to Gordon, he noticed how limply the sorcerer was hanging from him, like a rag doll.  
  
"...Are you all right?" he asked reluctantly.  
  
The sorcerer groaned, "No. No, not really."  
  
Link backtracked to the doorway and lowered Gordon to the floor by the wall there. "Just wait here. Don't move."  
  
"Be careful."  
  
"You know me."  
  
"That's what I'm afraid of."  
  
Showing his usual grace, Link quickly and effortlessly scaled the nearest side-platform, using the built-in footholds. When he reached the top, he was momentarily startled by just how large and wide that center platform was. It was in jumping distance from the much smaller platform he stood on, so it wasn't long before he was on that larger platform, walking slowly, searching the room with his sharp eyes.  
  
Hidden behind one of the side-platforms clear on the other side of the room, Lydia sat, curled up on the stone floor, wondering what she was going to do. She had been damn sure that there had been another way out of this room, and was surprised to discover that it was a dead end. Now, she found herself trapped in the room, unable to get away without attracting the attention of at least ione/i of them.  
  
And she ihad/i to get away, and stay away. Whenever she laid eyes on one of them, deep emotion stirred somewhere inside of her, always followed immediately by sharp pain pulsing through her skull, like a punishment. There was no doubt that she felt something whenever...  
  
If she could just get away from them and out of this damn temple, she wouldn't have to deal with it anymore. Ganondorf could get his iown/i damn Triforce of Courage if he wanted it so badly. Lydia wanted no further involvement.  
  
...Not if it involved hurting them...  
  
For reasons she didn't understand... the thought of doing so broke her heart.  
  
Suddenly, the witches cackling voices filled the large room and echoed from the dusty walls.  
  
"Haa haa! Look at that stupid kid! He came here willingly to offer himself as a sacrifice to the great Ganondorf!"  
  
Before she could even stop herself, Lydia began to climb the platform behind her, to get a better look. When she reached the top, she didn't climb up, but rather lifted herself so that the flat stone top was at her eye-level.  
  
She saw the Hylian boy in standing in the center of the main platform, frantically looking from side to side, obviously looking for the witches. They wasted no further time making themselves known, rising from red and blue magic circles that appeared on either side of the platform.  
  
Koume rose from the red one, spinning around on her broomstick and releasing some puffs of red magic, cackling loudly. "With my fire, I'll burn him to the bone!"  
  
Not about to be upstaged, Kotake rose from her blue circle in a similar way, complete with the spin and the magic puffs. "With my ice, I will freeze him to his soul!"  
  
With that, they began to circle above him, sharing a quick sisterly handshake in the air before separating and returning to their respective corners of the battle field.  
  
As the witches circled around him, Link was completely at a loss as to what to do. The item that was supposed to help him fight the witches - the Mirror Shield - was mostly likely in Lydia's possession, and he had little chance of being able to hit the witches with his sword while they were up on their broomsticks like that.  
  
While he looked around the room for ideas, Koume faced him, gathered up magic into her broom, then with a quick cackle, threw it at him. Link flipped away as the magic hit the floor where he stood. Right away, he found himself running as fast he could to escape the spread of the fire that seemed to turn the floor to lava as it went. After covering about half of the platform, the magic died out and disappeared.  
  
The Hylian stopped running, and spun around just in time to see Kotake point her broom at him and release a thick line of ice magic, which hit the floor and spread in a similar manner. Link had to actually flee from the main platform and retreat to the safety of one of the side platforms, and even that was only safe until Koume flew over there and tried to torch him again.  
  
This continued for several minutes as Lydia watched from her perch. Slowly climbing the rest of the way up and onto the platform, many emotions fought each other inside of her as she watched the boy dodge attack after attack. At one point, one of Koume's strikes was so close that he tripped and disappeared over the side of the platform.  
  
Acting instinctively, Lydia took a step forward to help, but was stopped by the pain that shot through her head. She silently began to scold herself as she dropped to her knees and waited for the pain to subside. Losing desire for the Triforce of Courage was understandable, and imaybe/i justifiable. But iwhat/i was this annoying urge to actually ihelp/i? She wasn't isupposed/i to care about this one way or the other! Why did her body continue to keep trying to jump into the battle without asking her first?!  
  
Right about then, the Hylian appeared again, much closer to her this time, and it took serious effort to not accidentally gasp out loud. He was climbing up to the main platform, right in front of where she was knealing. Understandably distracted, he didn't seem to notice her there.  
  
When he was almost to the top, Kotake reared her broom back. Link didn't see it coming in time to avoid it completely, but was able to partially dive to one side, to prevent a direct hit. The ice spread too quickly and froze his feet in place, causing him to lose his balance and drop to one knee. Quickly spreading around him and moving halfway up his body, the cold ice held him fast.  
  
Koume cackled loudly. "That's what you get for jumping around so annoyingly, boy! And now you're going to--" The witch stopped talking, and focused her eyes on where Lydia stood. "Ah! There you are! So, have you come to watch?"  
  
Link twisted his body as much as he could to see what had distracted the witch so suddenly, and saw Lydia, with a very frantic, confused look on her face. She would look at the witches, then look at him... then wince in pain and hold her head. Was she still resisting Ganondorf?  
  
"...What's the matter with you, girl?" Koume cackled. "Are you ill?"  
  
Lydia muttered something through her teeth that the witches didn't hear as she painfully held her head... but Link's sensitive ears picked it up. "...Get... the hell...outta me..."  
  
"Well, no matter!" the witch continued uncaringly, rearing her broom back. "As long as you can still watch this and tell Lord Ganondorf what a great job we did!"  
  
The Hylian returned his gaze to Koume as she gathered her fire magic, then pointed her broomstick right at him. "Prepare to die!" she shrieked, and let the magic fly. Held like this by the ice, all Link could do was brace himself and hope this didn't kill him.  
  
Suddenly, Lydia let out an angry shriek.  
  
Just as Koume's fire magic was about to hit its target, it suddenly bounced off in a completely different direction, hitting and momentarily covering the far wall, taking several seconds to fade away completely.  
  
Link opened his eyes again to find Lydia standing in front of him, holding the Mirror Shield protectively in front of her, breathing as if she had been running for hours. Looking as if her knees were about to buckle, she continued to stand her ground, giving the witches an awful stare, until pain in her head once again overwhelmed her, and she had no choice but to drop to one knee.  
  
The fire witch Koume waved a bony fist in the air. "What in the world are you idoing?!/i"  
  
The sorceress said nothing.  
  
"You were supposed to weaken him, not ihelp/i him, you stupid girl!" Koume continued to yell. "I almost had him!" Her long face suddenly turned from angry to sly. "...I suppose this means you have betrayed the great Ganondorf?"  
  
Lydia continued to pant. "I... was never... working ifor/i him to begin with... you old bag. I thought I... made that iclear/i."  
  
"But this is still going to iroyally/i anger him," the witch retorted with a delighted smile. "Ooh, I can't iwait/i to tell on you."  
  
The girl tried to snarl something back, but another wave of pain hit her.  
  
Koume cackled loudly. "I can't wait to see your punishment!"  
  
"...Sister, dear," Kotake whispered. "Isn't that going a little far?"  
  
Lydia slowly slid the Mirror Shield from her arm and lowered it to the ground. She had to get out of here inow/i. If she stayed any longer, she knew she might have some kind of breakdown. Just as she was about to flee for the door, she felt Link touch her arm. She flinched away as if burned, then stood and sprinted away as fast as she could, taking a flying leap off the platform and disappearing over the side.  
  
The large door she had originally come through had since closed, and didn't show any sign of opening. In her panic, her first thought was to blast it open so that she could still get away quickly before anyone approached her. She jumped back a few lengths and threw her hands to the side... and met eyes with Gordon. He was still sitting where Link had left him, against the wall near the door.  
  
They stared at each other for several seconds. In those short moments, her eyes said emotional things to him that her brain hadn't given the command to say. The sorcerer's eyes offered momentary comfort for her. Unfortunately, she came to her senses right away, threw a fireball through the door, and disappeared before the smoke had even cleared.  
  
The ice that held Link had since melted enough to allow him to break it off and stand again. Quickly brushing himself off, he knew perfectly well that going after her was pointless, but couldn't help but want to. ...Even it had obviously hurt her greatly to do what she did, it was nothing but good news for him. She was very close to beating this.  
  
Kotake's soft, yet cold voice interrupted his thoughts. "...Sister, dear...," she said to Koume. "What are we going to do now?"  
  
Koume's huge eyes shifted back and forth, then she threw her broom back and gathered magic into it. "We hit him before he can get away again!" she shrieked, and threw fire magic toward the ground.  
  
Acting quickly, Link grabbed the Mirror Shield that Lydia had left behind and held it in front of him. The magic hit it full on with such force that he was forced to take a step backward to keep his balance. The shield reflected the magic right back where it had come from, but not to the original owner. By chance, the angle at which Link held it sent the fire right into the ice witch Kotake, who yelled at the top of her lungs and hung limp for several seconds before regaining her bearings from the strike.  
  
The first thing she did was smack Koume with the brush of her broom. "Oh, igood/i one, Koume!" she shrieked, her usually-calm voice suddenly turning shrill and angry.  
  
Koume's voice was similarly shrill. "I forgot he had the shield, okay?!"  
  
"Well, take ithis/i, sister dear!"  
  
Kotake gathered her ice magic and let it fly, but not at Koume - she sent it in Link's direction instead. A bit stunned at the suddenness of that, Link reflected the magic the same way, right into Koume, who had a similiar reaction to Kotake's.  
  
The ice witch laughed. "That's what you get!"  
  
Koume shook herself out. "All right, all iright/i! Just stop." The witch sighed. "...We can fight all we want later, but we have something ielse/i to worry about right now, don't we?" She casually waved a hand in the direction were Link stood staring at the witches, absolutely bewildered by their behavior.  
  
"Um... excuse me?" Link called up to them. "If you're too busy for me right now, I could go..." He thumb-pointed at the door.  
  
Koume huffed at her sister. "See? iHe/i agrees with me."  
  
Kotake was visably starting to calm down. "...Okay, Koume. What do you want to do now?"  
  
The fire witch flew over to where Link still stood and started to circle high above him. "Let's show this boy what we're really made of!"  
  
The ice witch joined her sister in the circling. "Oh, all right, Koume."  
  
They spun faster and faster until they seemed to become one. Suddenly, there was a large puff of magic, and from it came a large, much more beautiful woman, with half of her hair fire, the other half ice, holding respective magic wands in each hand. The woman smiled and winked at Link before flying over to one of the room's large side-platforms.  
  
iWell,/i thought Link. iThat's a new one./i  
  
After lowering his normal Hylian shield to the floor and swinging the Mirror Shield over his back in its place, Link moved to the center of the main platform and watched the large witch move from platform to platform a few times, waiting for her to make the first move. Not about to disappoint, the witch raised her fire wand, and sent the equivalent of one of Lydia's fireballs in his direction. It wasn't moving very quickly in comparison, however, and would be easy to dodge, but Link knew the Mirror Shield he had must have further purpose in defeating these witches. He quickly swung it in front of him in time to catch the fireball, trying to angle it so that it would bounce back where it came from. But, to his surprise, instead of reflecting the fireball, the shield absorbed it. It repeatedly flashed red, and shook slightly as it held the energy inside of it.  
  
"...iNow/i what?" Link asked himself.  
  
The witch flew over to another platform, and threw another fireball. Link raised the shield, which again absorbed the magic. The Mirror Shield began to flash red even more quickly and it shook harder in his hands, as if it was having trouble holding everything in.  
  
Again, the witch moved to another spot. This time, she lowered her fire wand and raised the ice, sending a blue, icy beam of magic at him. Reacting quickly, Link raised the shield and took the hit. The shield absorbed the ice magic just as it had with the fire, but the flashing subsided and the shield stopped shaking.  
  
Obviously, that wasn't right.  
  
"Ice will cancel fire!" Gordon's voice suddenly yelled.  
  
Link turned around and saw the sorcerer. He had climbed almost all the way up to the platform, and was holding himself up by his elbows. "And, fire will cancel ice! Try to absorb enough of one kind!"  
  
The Hylian turned around to face the witch, who was moving back to her original position. What was Gordon thinking? If that shield had absorbed another fireball... Judging by the way it had been shaking, it wouldn't have been able to hold the magic anymore.  
  
...Unable to hold it anymore...? Suddenly, it all made sense.  
  
The witch sent another fireball, which Link quickly absorbed. Again, the shield started to flash and shake. She zoomed on over to her next perch, sending a second fireball, which the shield again absorbed. It shook so hard Link had to tighten his grip to hang on to it.  
  
After another move, the witch sent a beam of ice. This time, Link leapt out of the way and allowed it to hit the ground, quickly moving away as it spread, and eventually faded.  
  
"How long can you run?" Koume and Kotake's combined voices asked. "You'll eventually tire... and then you'll either burn or freeze. Which will it be, I wonder?"  
  
She moved back to the last platform she had been on as Link moved back to his original stance in the center of the room. With a wave of the red wand, another fireball sailed toward him. Link braced himself and threw the shaking Mirror Shield up, catching the fireball-head on. It shook violently for a few moments, and then intense fire magic exploded from the mirror, and fanned out to where the witch still was. She wasn't able to escape in time and was hit by the onslaught, dropping to the platform below, momentarily weakened.  
  
If Link knew anything about fighting, it was when to make the strike, and now was the time. He swung the Mirror Shield over his shoulder and quickly drew the Master Sword from its sheath.  
  
He closed his eyes and concentrating hard, summoning power from the Triforce of Courage within him. He had to finish this in one blow - he had something important to do that still had to be taken care of.  
  
An image of Lydia's face flashed through his head, and the Triforce of Courage started to stir. Sprinting forward, with the glowing Master Sword held at his side, Link leapt from the platform to where the witch was trying to recover, and struck with all his strength. Bright light spread throughout the room, the force of the magic blowing all of the wall sconces out.  
  
When the light faded, the large witch was gone. All that was left was two balls of magic - one red, one blue - circling each other as they headed toward the center of the room. Keeping his sword out, in case there was more to come yet, Link followed.  
  
The magic balls dropped to the floor, and after quick flashes of light, Koume and Kotake appeared again. ...Oddly enough, they had bright, shiny, honest-to-goodness halos hanging over their heads as a light started to shine down on them from somewhere above.  
  
"Ooooh!" Koume fumed. "What a fresh kid. We'll get him this time, right Kotake?"  
  
Kotake looked at her sister. "What's that above your head, Koume?"  
  
"...I don't know, but you have one over your head, too, Kotake."  
  
They started to float up from the ground.  
  
Kotake started to complain loudly. "But I'm only 400 years old!"  
  
Koume followed suit. "And I'm only 398 years old!"  
  
"We're twins!" Kotake shot at her. "Don't try to lie about your age!"  
  
"Don't talk to your sister that way!"  
  
"You're heartless!"  
  
This continued back and forth for a while. Link stepped back as they bickered, trying to be serious about this... but couldn't help but smirk. This was probably the strangest thing he had ever seen in his life.  
  
Suddenly, the witch sisters stopped bickering, flew up to the light, and disappeared. All that remained was Koume's cackling voice.  
  
"I'll come back to haunt you!"  
  
The familiar blue circle of light appeared where they had stood, and Link sank to the floor, exhausted. "...I'll look forward to it," he said with a smile.  
  
The room was peaceful again.  
  
Gordon slowly approached from behind, working to stay on his feet. "It's almost sad to see them go," he said with a laugh.  
  
"Really." Link stood up and brushed himself off. "Are you okay?"  
  
"Shaky still."  
  
"...Did you see where she went?"  
  
"Lydia? She blew her way out the door and is probably making her way outside."  
  
"We can still catch her, then."  
  
The sorcerer nodded. "...But first, we have unfinished business." He gestured toward the glowing circle of blue light.  
  
Link nodded. "...The final sage. We're finally finished. After all this time and after all we've gone through, we're finally finished."  
  
"What do you think happens now?"  
  
"...I don't know. I really don't know."  
  
"We'll figure it out as we go along, huh?"  
  
"Isn't that ialways/i what we've done?"  
  
With that, they stepped into the blue light circle and disappeared from the dark, now empty Spirit Temple.  
  
Lydia flew until she could fly no more, and was only able to fly to the outskirts of the Gerudo Valley. Instead of landing on the path below, she set herself down atop of one of the high, secluded side-cliffs, promptly dropping to her knees to catch her breath. She sat on the stony cliff for quite some time, holding her throbbing head in her hands. iWhat/i had happened to her back there?  
  
Suddenly, she felt a presense beside her. Tilting her head, she saw some familiar dark clothing. She groaned out loud, and stood up to face Ganondorf.  
  
The Evil King towered over her, his barrel-like arms crossed. "...iWhat/i was ithat/i?" he demanded.  
  
"What was what?" Lydia asked innocently, trying to pretend she wasn't in any pain.  
  
"Did you think I wouldn't find out?!"  
  
"Frankly, I don't care."  
  
Ganondorf snarled. "...Obviously, I underestimated you..."  
  
Lydia suddenly started to scream at him, glaring with her red eyes. "I don't know what you did to me," she yelled, "...I don't know what kind of magic you worked on me or when, but you had better fix it! Or, so help me, you will enter a world of pain!"  
  
The Gerudo man raised a bushy eyebrow. "...Which of us is in the world of pain right now?"  
  
The girl continued to glare.  
  
"Fine, fine," Ganondorf sighed. "If you want, I can fix this problem." With amazing speed, the Evil King lashed out and grabbed Lydia by the forehead, releasing magic into her before she could get away. He pumped everything he had into her, forcing her resistance down into the depths of her mind where it wouldn't give him any more problems. In her weakened state, there was little she could do to stop it.  
  
He let go, and Lydia dropped to her knees. She raised her head slowly, her eyes glowing a firey red, even more intense then they had been before.  
  
Ganondorf smiled. "...I said I'd fix it. Didn't say I'd remove it." He turned around, his cape whipping around in the hot wind. "...Let's go. We have business to take care of. And then, I'll finally be able to wash my hands of all of this."  
  
When the light faded, Gordon and Link once again found themselves standing in the Chamber of Sages. Right after they arrived, the platform started to glow, and Nabooru appeared, smiling widely at them.  
  
Link smiled back. "I can't say I'm surprised."  
  
"iI'm/i not surprised," Nabooru joked.  
  
"Are you all right?" Gordon asked.  
  
The Gerudo woman waved her arms in a dismissing way. "I'm fine, I'm fine! Listen, you don't have much time. Ganondorf's on the move!"  
  
"What?" Link half-shouted.  
  
"Undoubtedly, he's either felt the defeat of the witches and is on his way here, or he is going after Lydia while she's weak. You need to get to her before he does." Nabooru smiled. "...Before you go... Thank you for everything. ...Now that us six sages are together, we will be able to aid you when you strike against Ganondorf. Oh! And, if you run into Nervani, tell her to take care of things for me! And be sure to ask the girls if you need any help, okay?"  
  
"Thanks for your help, Nabooru."  
  
She clapped her hands together. "O-kay! Now, as you know, there's a Triforce platform outside of the temple, in the oasis. You're probably used to being transported there, but Lydia has undoubtedly gone way past there by now, so I'm going to send you to the valley to give you a head start. Aren't I nice?"  
  
"More than we could ask for," Gordon agreed.  
  
"Just make sure you kick Ganondorf around for me!"  
  
Everything around them started to glow white, and the Chamber slowly disappeared. Nabooru's voice followed them out.  
  
"Hey, sorcerer boy! When all of this is over, you istill/i owe me lunch!"  
  
When the light faded, the boys found themselves standing in the valley, a ways past the gorge, almost back to Hyrule Field. The sun was dipping in into the west, the sky beginning to turn a slight shade of red. Shadows grew, and the air slowly cooled. All was quiet.  
  
Gordon looked around. "Where are we supposed to start? If she can still fly, she could be anywhere by now."  
  
Link, on the other hand, was uneasy, and before Gordon had even finished his sentence, he stiffened.  
  
"No, she's very close!" he warned urgently.  
  
The sorcerer spun around, looking frantically for signs of her. "Already? Where?!"  
  
"I don't know!"  
  
There was suddenly a rush of wind from above, and Link and Gordon were blown apart by the force of a blast. In the center of it was Lydia, crouched down on the ground with her right fist dug into the dirt. She had been waiting nearby, and struck the moment they appeared.  
  
Gordon was the first to stand. Before he could even move, Lydia shot in his direction. Not at a run, but a magic-induced almost-faster-than-the-eye dash, and slammed her fist into his stomach, releasing electricity into his body. Unable to resist it in his weakened state, he buckled over and blacked out.  
  
Link stood up as Lydia straightened up again. When her eyes met his, a chill went up his spine. Her eyes were glowing red with a whole new kind of hatred as she glared right through him. She slowly paced away from where Gordon had fallen, taking a place several paces in front of where Link stood, and faced him. She held her right hand out to her side, and black smoke appeared from nowhere, swirling around a long object that had appeared. With a swing of her arm, the smoke was dispersed, and her pearl-handled longsword was clutched tightly in her hand.  
  
She charged forward with an animalistic yell, sword at the ready. Acting instinctively, Link quickly drew the Master Sword and held it protectively in front of him as the girl struck. Metal connected with metal loudly and forcefully. Lydia drew back, and struck again. Again, Link blocked it. She continued to strike, trying to find an opening somewhere.  
  
Link was close to panic. What was he supposed to do? If he tried to end this fight, it was going to involved hurting her. All he could to was block her angry, ferocious blows as he tried to think of a way out of this. At one point, one of Lydia's strikes got through and the blade grazed Link's right cheek.  
  
As she had him backed almost to the valley wall, the thought that crossed Link's mind was about how disturbingly familiar this was. When had something like this happened before?  
  
And then, the gut-wrenching realiziation hit him. This was the reaccuring nightmare Lydia had been having. It was really happening. Any minute now, she was going to stop striking with the sword and start throwing magic. And he would be completely helpless unless she could stop herself.  
  
When an angry yell, Lydia put all of her magic-induced strength into her next strike, knocking Link down. She stopped, glared at him for a moment, then took a few steps back.  
  
Link suddenly felt another presense nearby. Up on the high cliff behind Lydia stood Ganondorf himself. His arms were crossed, his cape billowing dramatically in the eastern wind. He was smiling.  
  
"Do it," he commanded.  
  
Lydia dropped the sword into the sand by her feet, raised her hands above her head, and started to chant in a monotone, uncaring voice, speaking the forboding words that stirred up memories.  
  
"ib style="color: #aa00aa"Darkness beyond twilight, crimson beyond blood that flows.  
Buried in the stream of time is where your power grows./b/i"  
  
The Hylian's heart dropped. The Dragon Slave?!  
  
The air pressure in the valley suddenly dropped. The hair on the back of Link's neck stood up as energy started to flow in.  
  
"ib style="color: #aa00aa"I pledge myself to conquer all the foes who stand,  
Before the mighty gift bestowed in my unworthy hand./b/i"  
  
A ball of dark red light started to gather where Lydia was holding her hands as the spell gained strength. He shouted to her repeatedly, but it didn't seem to get through at all. Ganondorf had done something to her after she left the temple.  
  
If she fired the Dragon Slave here...  
  
Suddenly, he realized what Ganondorf's true plans were. Link was no sorcerer, but he knew very well what kind of damage a Dragon Slave could to. If it were to be fired off in a constricted area such as this valley, it would not only kill its target, the spellcaster would most likely also be caught in it as well. Ganondorf wasn't using Lydia to kill ihim/i, he was using her to kill all three of them!  
  
And there wasn't anything he could to. Only Lydia could stop it from happening.  
  
"Lyd! Wake up!" he continued to shout. "You can beat this! I know you can!'  
  
"ib style="color: #aa00aa"Let the fools who stand before me be destroyed,  
By the power you and I possess./b/i"  
  
The ball of magic was drawing great power now.  
  
Ganondorf smiled triumphantly. The moment he had worked so hard for was finally here. He was going to enjoy this greatly. ...From a distance, of course.  
  
"Come on, Lydia, don't let this happen!" Link pleaded, standing up again. "You've watched this happen dozens of times! But this isn't where our story is supposed to end! You wanted nothing more than to change the ending! This is your chance!"  
  
The sorceress paused. Her eyebrows wrinkled, and she started to shake, as if about to cry. The magic spell continued to swirl above her.  
  
Ganondorf raised an eyebrow.  
  
Link smiled at her. "Remember the 'bone crushing heroes'? Surely the strongest of them can beat this, right?"  
  
Lydia whimpered, and somehow managed to keep the spell stable in the air above her.  
  
"You don't want ime/i to get all the credit for beating Ganondorf, do you? C'mon! Shrug this off and we'll beat him together! ...Wake up!"  
  
A single tear fell from Lydia's left eye, reflecting some of the red glow. She slowly started to lower her arms.  
  
Gordon started to slowly sit up, disoriented and not quite yet aware of what was going on.  
  
The Evil King cursed out loud. "Oh, no, you don't, you little wench! Finish it!!" He pulled his arm back and threw a black ball of energy, which hit Lydia square in the back. She yelled in pain, lowering her head from the blow. When she raised her head again, her face was once again filled with hatred and anger.  
  
The sorceress placed her right foot a step back, to brace herself.  
  
Link sank hopelessly back to the ground. ...After all this... After everything they had done, after everything they had accomplished... iThis/i was how it was going to end?  
  
"I love you, Lydia," he said, wanting those to be his last words.  
  
"ib style="color: #aa00aa"DRAGON.../b/i"  
  
Suddenly, Lydia spun completely around on the heel of that right foot, and faced Ganondorf. She threw her hands - and the spell - up toward where he stood on the cliff.  
  
"iWhat?!/i" Ganondorf shouted.  
  
"...ib style="color: #aa00aa"SLAVE!!/b/i"  
  
A huge amount of red magic suddenly exploded from Lydia's outstretched arms, and a beam of magic as wide as a large tree trunk hit Ganondorf square in the torso. But the spell didn't explode there. The beam continued up toward the sky, carrying the screaming Gerudo at its head. Lydia sent the spell sailing upward for almost thirty seconds, and then, suddenly spread her arms wide in some kind of signal to the spell.  
  
The Dragon Slave exploded. A dome of red light expanded in the sky, brighting the area so much that Gordon and Link had to turn away. This was the first time a full-strength Dragon Slave had been cast since the sorcerers' magic was awakened seven years before. A shockwave spread across Western Hyrule, blowing out windows and knocking down trees. Grass immediately outside of Gerudo Valley was blown right out of the ground. Nearby trees that resisted up-rooting were quickly de-leafed.  
  
Eventually, the sky dimmed down again and the wind stopped blowing. When everything had quieted, Link lowered his arms, squinting into the sunset.  
  
The sky was the normal blue-ish red again. There was no sign of Ganondorf.  
  
Gordon slowly stood, painfully holding his stomach where Lydia had struck him.  
  
Lydia was still standing in the same place, still facing away from them. She breathed heavily as she gazed into the sky.  
  
The Hylian slowly started forward. "Lyd...?"  
  
Suddenly, the sorceress spun around so energetically that her clothing and short hair spun with her. Her big green eyes were brighter and greener than ever, and tears streamed unchecked down her face.  
  
"I did it!" she declared happily. "...I really did it!"  
  
She ran forward and leapt into Link's arms, excitedly wrapping herself around him, and started to cry. "I did it! I did it!" she repeated.  
  
Link, somehow managing to keep himself from crying as well, said, "...You couldn't have cut that iany/i closer, I think."  
  
The girl laughed. "But, then, where would the suspense have been? Huh?"  
  
"I guess. I'll probably never learn the concept."  
  
"That's okay. Seems I'm always gonna be around, so I can be the suspense supplier."  
  
Gordon approached then. "That is your expertise, after all. ...Well, that, and getting into trouble."  
  
Lydia pulled away from Link and looked at her brother, her face full of emotion. She was about to say something when Gordon raised his hand in dismissal.  
  
"Yes, I'm fine, and don't worry about what happened. You still have the Triforce of Wisdom, right?"  
  
"Uh-huh."  
  
"Then there's no problem."  
  
"Do you want it back?"  
  
"Not particularly."  
  
The sorceress's eyes wandered up toward the continually-darkening sky, where she had fired off the spell before. "...Maybe it'll be safer if you do. We all know that wasn't enough to stop Ganondorf."  
  
"iStill?/i" Link demanded. "That was a full-force Dragon Slave!"  
  
"And Ganondorf has a full-force Triforce of Power, if you will," she replied with a sigh. "Remember when Gordon blew the Temple of Time to bits? The guy was barely affected."  
  
Gordon nodded. "Even though it's true that I can't quite yet cast that spell at full power, it should have hurt him much more than it did."  
  
The Hylian thought for a moment. "...In other words, we need to get out of here before he recovers and comes back."  
  
"We need to find Zelda. She'll know what we need to do next. We have all the sages on our side now... all that's left is to--"  
  
The sorcerer stopped talking when Lydia suddenly bent over and held her forehead in pain. The Triforce of Widsom stirred violently and the mark glowed. Through a wince, she spoke through her teeth in a panicked voice. "He's coming!"  
  
"Already?!" Gordon yelled as he threw his hands into the spell-firing position.  
  
"From where?!" Link looked around frantically, but saw nothing.  
  
There was a rush of cold air from behind them, and before anyone could react, Ganondorf broke through the group at a sprint, grabbing Lydia from behind. He ran to the other side of the path, and turned around, holding Lydia in front of him with a firm group on her neck.  
  
"Lydia!" Gordon yelled.  
  
The girl turned her head as far as she could and looked the Evil King in his frantic eyes. "You never give up, do you? Let go of me right now, or so help me, I'll--" Her voice was cut off as Ganondorf squeezed her neck tighter.  
  
With the utmost anger expressed on his face, Link went for his sword, the mark of the Triforce of Courage glowing brightly.  
  
Ganondorf spoke then, his voice dark. "...Make any sudden moves, and I will kill her."  
  
The tone of his voice was so serious and forboding that the boys knew he meant business, and had no choice but to stand down. Using all of his willpower, Link pushed the Triforce of Courage's power back down until it subsided.  
  
Gordon's mind raced. If some mugger on the street had grabbed Lydia like that, he would have been charred crispy by now. But there was no way she was going to be able to cast anything with Ganondorf strangling her like that. How was he supposed to get him away from her without hurting her in the process? He dared a quick glance at Link, who was visably edgy, standing on the balls of his feet, glaring at Ganondorf with a kind of fury that was rarely seen.  
  
Ganondorf loosened his grip on Lydia's throat just enough so that she wouldn't pass out. He started to speak to her.  
  
"You were supposed to get the Triforce of Courage," he hissed angrily, "and you failed. ...This can be forgiven, I suppose, in time. ...However, I will not tolerate you giving away what is already mine. I will take it back!!"  
  
In an explosion of dark energy, the Triforce of Wisdom was ripped away from Lydia as she screamed. Since she wasn't destined to hold that Triforce piece, she could do little to resist, as much as she tried, and Ganondorf easily took it. When the energy faded again, the sorceress dropped to the ground. Hovering in Ganondorf's extended right hand was a small golden triangle.  
  
Gordon and Link looked at each other, both knowing what had to be done. Link with his sword and Gordon with his magic, both charged forward with everything they had.  
  
The Evil King laughed maniacally. "And with this, I will be rid of you forever!"  
  
The Triforce of Wisdom suddenly exploded with power before the boys could get close. A shockwave of energy hit them, knocking them away like leaves in the wind.  
  
Lydia raised her eyes just enough to watch as the energy expanded and spread to fill the entire valley with yellow light, completely enveloping them all. First, she felt light-headed. Then, the surrounding walls, the sky, and even the ground she was lying on seemed to drop away. She began to forget things.  
  
And everything went dark.  
  
The young girl opened her eyes slowly. Her head throbbed and her body ached. Looking around, she had no idea where she was. It looked like the inside of a cabin or something. The room was darkened, lit by several candles placed nearby.  
  
Just then, a concerned face bent over her. It was a girl with a head of long, flaming red hair, and long Hylian ears.  
  
"You're awake?" she asked. "Oh, thank Din! I wasn't sure you'd iever/i wake up! You've been asleep for two days."  
  
The girl in the bed blinked once. "...Who are you?" she whispered.  
  
"My name's Malon. And this is Lon Lon Ranch." Malon turned over the wet towel resting on the girl's forehead.  
  
Feeling significantly better already, the girl sat up and got out of the bed, despite Malon's protests. The girl started to walk over to the large mirror on the vanity in the corner.  
  
"I found you unconscious in the field," she heard Malon say. "I was hoping you could tell me what happened to you."  
  
The girl thought for a moment. "I... I don't remember," she replied, a bit distressed.  
  
Malon's hands shot up to her mouth. "You've lost your memory? Oh, how awful! I'm so sorry!"  
  
Reaching the mirror, the girl stood and looked at herself. Looking back at her was a young girl of roughly 17 or 18, with very long, full brown hair. She wore a brown dress that was neither fancy nor grungy, and had a shiny pendant in the shape of the Triforce around her neck. "...No, not all of my memory.." she said thoughtfully.  
  
"Then," Malon pressed. "Do you remember your name?"  
  
The girl reached up and flipped her long brown hair behind her shoulders.  
  
"...Yes. It's Maya. My name is Maya."  
  



	35. Chapter 32 FINAL

Heh, no, not dead yet. Just busy. ...Yeah, you guys already know the drill.

Well, here we go. After WAY too long, I now present you with the Finale of Part II. Enjoy.

Oh, first - an IMPORTANT NOTE TO READERS: There's a very important note for you at the bottom of this chapter. Make sure you read it. It's VERY IMPORTANT - I can't stress it enough. Just... make sure you don't scroll down early to see it. Major spoilers. You'll be sorry. Read through the chapter first, and THEN scroll down there and look for my notice.

Okay, now the chapter.

* * *

Worlds Apart - Part II

By Goddess Rinoa aka Miss Lydia

Chapter 32

Maya rolled over and opened her eyes with a loud groan. The clock on the wall said it was already past nine, and yet Maya didn't feel rested at all. She had been plagued by weird nightmares ever since waking up in Malon's room the night before. Most of the dreams were of people she didn't even recognize. The setting seemed familiar, but everything else was different.

The air in the room was rather cold that morning, so it took Maya almost ten minutes to actually get out of the bed. As soon as her bare feet touched the freezing cold wood floor, she jumped right back under the covers again for another ten minutes. As she lay wrapped up in the warm blankets, she stared at the ceiling and tried to remember what had happened. How had she ended up at the ranch? Malon had said that she found her in the field... but Maya didn't even remember what she had been doing in the field in the first place, let alone what had happened there. She remembered everything else - who she was, about her past, who her friends were, who her family--

Suddenly, Maya remembered her younger brother Riku. He must be looking for her. He was surely worried, since she hadn't gone home last night.

Braving the cold once more, the girl planted her feet on the floor, stood up, and ran across the cold wood, practically jumping onto the warmer carpet under the vanity. She sat down on the stool, wrapping her dress around her more tightly, and looked into the dusty mirror. The person that looked back at her had rings under her eyes, and her long hair was a tangled mess, and she seemed to be in a bad mood, too.

Maya quickly borrowed Malon's brush and raked the tangles out of her hair, and did her best to make herself look like she hadn't been through something she didn't even remember.

After a quick search of the room, she found her shoes under the bed. After slipping them on, she grabbed her cloak off the chair by the wall and swiftly walked into the hallway. For some odd reason, it was warmer out here than the bedroom had been.

Malon must have heard her coming and was waiting at the bottom of the stairs. "Are you all right?" she asked, looking genuinely concerned.

Maya cleared her throat. "Not really, no," she replied. "...My head hurts like hell."

The farm girl with flaming red hair smiled brightly and declared, "Y'know what helps that? A nice, big breakfast!" She put her hands on Maya's back and pushed her over to the table. "Sit, sit. I'll get you something."

"Thanks," whispered Maya, lowering her head to the tabletop, letting her arms dangle limply at her sides. "And maybe an ale, too."

"Hah!" Malon laughed. "Not before noon. ...Actually, Daddy should be back soon with a new shipment of milk. That'll go nicely with breakfast."

Just as Malon was about to light the fire, Maya's Hylian ears picked up the sound of hoofbeats just outside the ranch, coming closer.

Malon must have heard it too. "Oh, that must be Daddy now," she said, putting down the wooden spoon. "...That's funny. He's rather early."

She quickly moved away from the stove and over to the window, pushing back the curtain. "...Oh, no, it's not Daddy. It's... ...Ooh, boy, he doesn't usually come by unless there's a problem." Malon slipped her cloak on and turned to Maya. "Excuse me for a minute." With that, she opened the door and slipped out into the morning air.

Maya listened quietly as the hoofbeats approached the house, then stopped. She heard Malon's voice, but couldn't make out what she was saying. A young male voice replied.

Maya recognized that voice. It was Riku's closest friend, who was actually closer to Maya's age than Riku's age. Riku must have recruited him to help look for her. The girl stood up, wrapped her cloak around her body tightly, and stepped outside.

She immediately caught sight of the boy, still sitting on his horse's back. His bright blond hair was long, and always tied back in a braid that hung almost to his waist while his full bangs hung down near his eyes. He usually wore a simple brown travelling outfit, but today was dressed a little more fancy than usual, in a nice-looking tunic of an elegant deep blue. A broadsword was strapped to his back, as it always was - he was a real warrior type. Even if he were dressed up for a special occasion, he still had his sword with him.

As soon as Maya saw him, her heart fluttered. ...It was very strange. Since this boy was close friends with her brother, she had run into him many times... but for some reason, when she saw him on this chilly morning, a flood of emotions welled up. The girl was surprised at herself. What was this weird feeling?

The boy continued to talk to Malon. Neither of them had noticed she had come outside.

"She's about your height," he said, and then put his hand down to his waist, "with brown hair about down to here."

Malon smiled. "Oh, you must mean--" she turned around, and saw Maya standing in the doorway. "Ah, there she is."

The boy on the horse looked at Maya and smiled. " i There /i you are."

Maya swallowed and tried to act natural. "Um.. Hi, Link," she replied, smiling back.

Link climbed down from the horse, which looked to be borrowed from the palace's herd, and walked toward her. "Where have you been?" he asked. "Your brother is worried sick!"

"...Yeah, I..."

"Oh, that reminds me." The boy turned around momentarily, raising his hand to his mouth, and whistled loudly. The sound echoed off the walls of the house and the barn.

Maya continued. "Actually, Link... I dont remember what happened."

He appeared even more concerned. "...You don't i remember /i ?" he repeated. "How far back i do /i you remember?"

The girl thought for a minute. "Uh... Yesterday morning. Breakfast." She lowered her head. "...But I don't remember what I ate."

Link rubbed the back of his neck and tried to hide the troubled look on his face.

"You know I'm--" Maya felt tears welling up. "You know I'm the type of person that likes to be in control... I don't know where I've been or what happened to me..." She took a breath and composed herself. "But, I think I'm okay." She smiled. "Maybe it was something I ate. I knew that beef tasted weird."

"Well, I doubt Riku would be as quick to accept that explaination. He worries like an old lady every time you get yourself into trouble."

"Are you saying I get into trouble a lot?"

"Yes."

"Hmm. Yeah, I guess I do."

Link put his hand on Maya's shoulder, his stunningly-blue eyes locked directly on her. "But you're really all right?"

The girl shrugged. "Yeah. Yeah. I don't remember how I ended up here, but I think I'm fine."

The sound of hoofbeats was heard again. Malon ran over the gate to meet whoever it was.

Link turned. "Ah, here he comes now."

Another horse came through the gate, this time carrying a younger boy. He had brown hair that hung down almost to his shoulders, but instead of hanging normally, it stood out quite a bit, bouncing every time the horse took a step. He caught sight of Maya and Link over by the house, and put his hand on his forehead.

"Do you take delight in raising my blood pressure?!" he called.

Maya scoffed. "Riku, you're thirteen! Blood pressure is i not /i an issue at this point in your life! ...Though, with enough effort, I could change that, if you want."

Riku hopped down from the horse, which Malon gently led away to feed and water briefly. He quickly walked up to his older sister and looked her right in the eye. Though he was four years younger, he was very close to being taller than his older sister. "...Okay," he said seriously, "I know I'm not your parent and I'm not your babysitter. I know you're older than me and more powerful than me and could 'squash my puny self in one shot' if you wanted to, as you always say. But where in the world were you last night? I thought something had happened."

"Um..."

Link interrupted her. "Oh, it was nothing. She met Malon in the field last night, they got to talking, and they both lost track of the time. They didn't realize how late it had gotten. No big deal."

Maya's eyes widened and she glanced at Link.

Her brother groaned. "You have to be more responsible! People like that creepy Ganondorf may still be out there. You know how much Ganondorf had it in for you. He saw you as a threat to his political power!"

"But he--"

"The rest of the Gerudos could be planning revenge or something!"

"Riku. Enough with the conspiracy theories. That damn fool got himself killed performing a dark-magic spell he couldn't handle. It was his own fault."

Riku sighed. "All right. All right. As long as you're okay. You can't really blame me for worrying, can you? ...You should come home soon though. You have to get ready for tonight's event."

Her mind blank, she stared for several seconds before she finally remembered. "O-Oh, yeah. Right, right." Maya couldn't believe she hadn't remembered. Tonight, there was going to be an event at Hyrule Castle to unveil the artifact that she and Riku had been working on for the royal family for months. Being two of the few magic-users in Hyrule with any talent at all, they had unquestionably been best suited for the job.

"The party's at five o'clock sharp," Riku reminded her. "Try to be home in a couple of hours, all right?"

"Yes, sir," his sister replied with a cocky smile.

Riku started to turn... but looked back momentarily. "...I'm surprised you've never met Malon before. You need to get your nose out of those spellbooks and get out a little more. Let your skin darken a little bit."

"Remind me. Which one of us can recite the Dragon Slave incantation by heart?"

"Yeah, yeah," he dismissed her with a wave. "I'll see you at home."

With impeccable timing, Malon reappeared with Riku's horse just then.

"Won't you stay for breakfast?" the red-haired girl asked him.

Riku smiled at her and climbed up on his horse. "Love to, but can't. Today's our big day."

"Oh, right! I'll be there!" She glanced at Maya briefly, then back at Riku. "Say, why haven't I ever met your sister before?"

The boy shrugged. "She's a bookworm. What can I say? See you tonight, okay?" With that, he kicked the horse's sides and disappeared through the gates again.

Maya sighed, and looked up at Link, who had stayed silent since covering for her. "...Thanks."

Link tapped her arm with the back of his hand in a friendly gesture. "He's a good kid."

"Yeah, I know."

"Ever since Ganondorf went after you last year, he's been on his toes. Wants to protect his big sister."

Link started to walk away, toward where Malon was holding a bucket of oats up for his horse, then turned around again. "Say... can I give you a ride back?"

Maya smiled playfully. "I could just fly home, y'know."

"It'll give us some time to catch up. I haven't seen you in a while. And, hey, even though I think you drink too much, I'll treat you."

The girl's eye's brightened. "Sold."

Link approached Malon as Maya followed. Malon set the bucket of oats on the ground and turned to face him. "You won't be staying?" she asked.

"I'm going to take Maya home," he replied in a gentle voice.

The farm-girl smiled. "Okay, I understand." She leaned to one side and smiled at Maya, who smiled awkwardly back. "It was very nice to meet you! Come back and visit me sometime."

"Sure thing. ...And, you'll be at the palace tonight?"

"I don't think anyone's going to miss it. ...It's really great what you're doing for Hyrule."

"No big deal."

Link was already up on the horse, trying in vain to get it to leave the bucket of oats alone. "We should get going. It's a half-hour ride back to Kakariko, and it's almost lunchtime. Surely you have preparations."

"All right, all right, I'm coming." Maya grabbed hold of the saddle and lifted herself up behind him. Once settled, she gave Malon a little wave. "Thank you for all of your help."

Malon clasped her hands behind her back and smiled sweetly. "Thank you for giving me an excuse to not do my chores this morning."

Maya laughed loudly, then said, "See you tonight!"

Link kicked the horse's barrel chest, and within moments they had charged out into Hyrule Field. The sun was high and bright, and the sky was blue, laced with fluffy white clouds. Perfect weather. The wind was warm as it blew through Maya's long hair.

Keeping both hands at her sides, gripping the saddle for balance, she asked Link, "So... whose horse is this?"

"Oh, I borrowed him from the palace aides," he replied, glancing over his shoulder at her.

"Mmm. Thought so. It's coat is practically reflecting the sunlight. ...And that outfit?"

"Same thing."

"It looks nice."

"Thanks."

Link had been born in the servant house of the palace. Normally, the servants didn't have direct contact with the palace inhabitants, but Link had been a little boy with a powerful personality, and was so assertive that the people there couldn't help but notice him. Luckily for him, the young Princess Zelda had taken a particular interest in him. She always snuck him into the palace so that she'd have someone to play with. As a result, Link had pretty good knowledge of how things in the palace worked.

With Zelda's influence, Link was soon no longer viewed as a common servant, and was often sent out on errands. He visited places all over Hyrule carrying messages back and forth for the royal family. Along the way, he had learned how to use a sword - ever since then, carrying one at all times was a habit of his. He was even permitted to carry his weapon in the presense of the King himself, if that situation presented itself, which it rarely did. Today, he was a personal aide to royal family, which is a high, high honor for someone born in the servant house. He met the young Riku a few years ago in Hyrule Market, and they had become quick friends. Since Link was almost always out doing things for the royal family, he and Riku got together often. Riku would sometimes accompany him, eager to show off new spells he had learned.

Until then, Maya and Riku had been practicing magic somewhat privately. There was actually a magic guild in an undisclosed-to-outsiders location in Hyrule, but neither of them had much interest. They seemed to have an inate talent, and didn't really need the guild. Link was actually the one who had made their existance known to the royal family, and they ended up eventually joining the guild at their request, moving up the ranks at an unheard-of rate. A nice consequence of being in the guild was learning how to create magical artifacts. Maya had created a magical amplifier for herself, which she wore as a pendant around her neck. She had named it the Sorcerer's Rune. Nothing creative, but it would do. Recently, they had been asked to construct an artifact for the castle. It had taken almost a year to complete, and today was the day of the introduction ceremony. Even though Maya hated organized events and pretty much anything proper, she couldn't help but look forward to it. Just a little.

"You're pretty quiet back there."

Link's voice startled Maya, who had been lost in thought. Coming out of her daze, she noticed that they were crossing the bridge over Zora River - the gate to Kakariko was just ahead. They had sure made some good time.

"Sorry," Maya quietly replied as Link brought the horse to a stop inside the gates. "I just feel a bit out of it."

The boy climbed down from the large horse's back, then helped Maya down. He turned away and secured the horse's reins to one of the poles set up inside the gates for this purpose. When he turned around again, Maya had disappeared. A quick look around found her halfway to the Tavern already. Link straightened his tunic and quickly followed.

Maya quickly ducked into the dark Tavern, slowing down momentarily while her eyes adjusted to the darkness. As was to be expected in late morning, the Tavern was almost deserted, save for the bartender, who was concentrating on wiping down the tables. He looked up when Maya entered, then tucked the damp towel in his pocket.

"Here for lunch?" he asked her, drying his hands on his pants.

The girl said nothing, but swiftly walked right over to the bar, the bottom hems of her cloak gently dusting the floor as she passed over it. The bartender watched her silently as she moved, then quickly made tracks to his place behind the bar as Maya sat herself in one of the stools. She rested her chin on the bar and groaned, "Ale."

The bartender rested his elbows on the bar. "But, Miss Maya... it's not even noon."

"Ale."

He shrugged. "All right, it's your liver." He looked past her suddenly. "Ah, anything for you, sir?"

Momentarily confused, Maya looked aside and saw Link, who had suddenly appeared beside her. "Nothing for me, thanks," he said as he sat down next to her. "Put her drink on my tab, though, okay?" The bartender nodded and went to fetch Maya's ale.

The girl moaned and lay her head down on the bar again. "...What's wrong with me today?"

"I wouldn't worry so much," Link advised, finger-drumming on the bar.

"I can't seem to concentrate, and I have a lot of weird things on my mind, not to mention the whole thing about not being able to remember anything from yesterday."

"Do you i feel /i any different?"

"Nope..."

Link grunted and ran his fingers through his hair. He rested his arms on the table, and then looked at Maya as if he wanted to say something, but paused and looked away again.

"What?" Maya pressed.

"Er..." He seemed hesitant. "...I don't suppose you simply... drank too much that night...?"

A chill went up the boy's spine as he was met with a dark glare from Maya. With ironic timing, the bartender chose that moment to set a huge mug of ale in front of the girl, which she promptly grabbed and started to suck down. Link watched awkwardly as she downed half of the mug in a matter of seconds, then heavily set the drink down on the bar with a loud sigh.

She once again turned her eyes to him. "...Look, getting a little drunk and picking a fight with that idiot that works in the windmill is a bit different than waking up in a strange house."

"Right," Link sighed. "I'm sorry."

Maya took another large swig from the mug. "I mean, I know I have a reputation for drinking too much, but this is a little different." She lowered the mug again, and pounded on the bar a couple of times. "Another, please!" she called.

"Well, just be careful for a few days," the boy suggested, "and hope it was an isolated incident."

The second ale came quickly this time, and was downed just as fast. Maya called for a third, then smiled at Link. "I feel sorry for your wallet."

"I guess I brought this upon myself. Should've known better."

Maya waved her entire arm. "Ah, no problem. I'm sure Zelda can lend you some money." Her face suddenly changed to an expression of sly interest. "...Speaking of Zelda... Have you told her yet?"

Link seemed completely taken aback by her forward question, and stared at her awkwardly until she repeated it. "Tell Princess Zelda that... Hell, no, I haven't!"

"Ugh, why i not /i ? What's there to lose?"

"What's there to i lose /i ? There's at least three social classes separating us! A relationship between a princess and a servant is completely unheard of, and I would probably get run out of town!'

"Oh, please, you're exaggerating, and you know it!" The third ale was delivered, and Maya took a small sip from it before continuing. "Link, you're young, and you'll regret it if you don't tell her that you like her."

He rested his forehead in his hand, completely exhasperated. "It's a lot more complicated than that."

The girl shrugged. "But don't say I didn't warn you."

Maya finished the third ale, and was about to call out for yet another when Link sternly shook his head at her. "One of the biggest events in Hyrule's recent history is in five hours, and you're a big part of it, so I suggest you not drink anymore."

"Okay, okay."

Link stood up and pushed the stool back under the bar, gathering his cloak around him. "Speaking of which, I should be getting back. Lots of preparations to be made. i You /i need to go home and rest up a bit."

"Yes, Dad," she replied jokingly. "I'll see you tonight."

He started to turn around, stopping momentarily when Maya suddenly said, "Tell her!" He said nothing in response, and simply quickened his step as he weaved through the tables and chairs and disappeared back out into the afternoon sunlight.

Maya laughed and shook her head, turning back to the bar. "Young men in love," she said to herself. "They're so innocent." She looked up at the bartender, who was cleaning glasses. "Don't you think?"

The burly man shrugged. "Been a long time since I was young."

When he turned around and left the bar, ducking into the back kitchen, Maya suddenly had another weird feeling come over her. She felt deep regret for encouraging Link to confess his feelings to the princess. It was truly out of nowhere. He was nothing but a friend to her, and yet today she had repeatedly felt like she had special feelings for him. But she didn't - she really didn't - he was just a friend. He had always been just a good friend. She had been encouraging of his liking of Zelda from the very start. ...Why was today so different? ...It was like... there was now more than one person in her body, and one of them liked Link, and completely protested the fact that she was trying to get him to go to someone else.

She caught sight of the mug that still sat there on the bar, and she glared at it, momentarily blaming it for today's weird happenings. She hung around at the bar for a few more moments before getting up. She nodded a thank-you to the bartender, who had emerged from the kitchen again, then started toward the door, bumping into one of the chairs along the way.

Squinting into the bright sunlight, Maya quickly made tracks to the house that she and Riku shared, convieniently located right behind the Tavern. Before she could even reach the door, it swung open and Riku emerged.

"Took you long enough!" he said, quickly hurrying to her side. He started to pull her into the house. "We have to prepare the artifact for the reveal tonight."

Maya groaned, trying to keep her balance. "I'm comin', I'm comin'."

The inside of the house was rather dark, and Maya once again had to let her eyes adjust when Riku shut the thick door again. He had several spellbooks spread across the table, and in the center of them all was something small wrapped in brown rags.

"I think it's almost ready," her brother said, sitting down in one of the chairs. He gestured to the chair across from him.

Maya sighed and sat in the chair, opening the closest spellbook. The words on the page blurred in and out as her eyes lost focus. She tried to concentrate, but couldn't seem to make herself.

...Riku still didn't know what had happened to her. She looked up and saw him pouring over the thick book he was holding, occasionally breaking long enough to glance at the bundle of rags in the center before going back to the book. Maya gazed over at the beams of sunlight pouring in through the small window. Something about them was unsettling.

Something about everything was unsettling. Everything about everything felt wrong today, and Maya grew increasingly uneasy as time passed. Occasionally, she got the bad feeling that she was forgetting something important...

------

The trumpets blared, sending a chorus of fanfare all around the Great Hall. It was an enormous, luxurious room in the castle, draped with banners and heirlooms of the Hyrulean royal family. The large windows were dark - it was already nighttime.

The Great Hall was i packed /i with people. People of all social classes and races had been allowed into the castle for this rare event. The crowd was laced with Hylians, Gorons, some select Gerudo women, and even the Zoras had made the trip.

At the head of the rooms sat three thrones. They were occupied by the King and Queen, and their daughter Princess Zelda. Standing beside the King's throne was Link, looking absolutely dashing in his fancy tunic. He had his arms crossed in an official-looking way. It was obvious from the smug look on his face that he felt like hot stuff standing up there with the royalty.

And there stood Maya, with her brother Riku at her side, holding that brown bundle of rags that had been sitting on their table all afternoon. They had poured their hearts into making this item, and this was supposed to be a really big day for them. It was for Riku - he stood there absolutely beaming with pride. But Maya... she was so nervous and uneasy that she was shaking. Those feelings of worry she had felt earlier that afternoon had escalated in severity ten fold since then. With every hour that passed, she felt more and more like something was really, really wrong. She couldn't even think straight anymore.

The trumpets finished playing. The silence that fell over the Great Hall only served to make Maya even more nervous. She glanced back and forth as beads of sweat gathered on her forehead. Every shadow that fell over anything in the room felt like a potential threat - as if something would emerge from them any minute and attack her. Everything about her surroundings seem wrong. Something evil loomed in the very air.

She jumped when the King started to speak in a deep voice. She didn't even really pay attention to what he said as he made his speech about the history of Hyrule and family heirlooms and the importance of today's event. The girl hugged the bundle closer to her chest and closed her eyes tightly, trying to shut out everything around her - the noise, the coolness of the air, and even the light - she wanted it to all go away.

Riku nudged her. It seemed he finally noticed her unease, which had gotten so bad that it was starting to physically affect her. His sister looked at him as if about to cry.

The King suddenly stopped speaking. Maya stood there blankly until Riku nudged her again. Apparently, the King had finished the speech. Now, Maya was supposed to unwrap the bundle and hold it up for all to see. But she just stood there, shaking like a leaf.

Link, still standing beside the King, raised an eyebrow. When Riku leaned over and said something in his sister's ear, he knew something was wrong.

Maya swallowed hard. Riku had asked her if she was all right, but she couldn't muster any kind of response. Something about all this was upsetting her, and she decided right then that the best thing to do would be to finish this ceremony and get the hell out of there.

She gathered up everything she had, and took a few careful steps forward. Slowly, in a calculated way, she unwrapped the item she held, and dropped the brown cloth on the floor. In her hand she held a round object, painted a deep royal blue.

"Behold!" she managed to make herself shout, holding it up for all to see, as was rehearsed. "The Ocarina of Time!"

The crowd went nuts. The sounds of the cheering echoed off the stone walls.

The King's booming voice declared, "And now, my people, if the young Maya will allow it, may we all now hear the Song of Time, played by the new heirloom. May it forever protect the Master Sword and the Sacred Realm!'

Maya raised the Ocarina to her lips and played the song that she had rehearsed. The sound filled the room and calmed everyone in it. Everyone, that is, except Maya. As she finished the song, she felt herself begin to panic.

When the cheering began, something in Maya's mind finally snapped. A wave of images and emotions of someone else came over her suddenly and overwhelmed her. She saw things in her mind... Images of people she had never seen before, but somehow recognized. She saw events she had never experienced before, but somehow remembered. People, battles... A particular group stood out - three young people that appeared in all of the scenes she saw in that few split seconds. Link was one of them, except he was dressed differently than she had ever seen him, in the green clothes of the ageless Kokiri people. There were two others with him. ...She recognized one of them... She was...!

Maya suddenly realized that she was screaming. She had dropped the Ocarina on the carpeted floor, and was holding the sides of her head as she wailed. Riku had a grip on her arms, trying in vain to calm her down, or at least find out what was wrong. She looked at him for a split second before shoving him away form her so hard that he lost his balance and fell.

The most important thing in the world to her at that very moment was escaping.

With the aid of magic almost instantaneously cast, Maya shot toward the door, flying a few feet off the ground. She disappeared before anyone could move.

Riku lay on the floor in shock for several seconds before sitting up and carefully picking up the Ocarina, which was luckily unhurt.

All three of the royals jumped up from their thrones. Link held his arm out in front of the King, and said, "I'll handle this, your Highness." He glanced at Zelda momentarily, then took off across the room at a sprint, not even stopping to help Riku stand.

Meanwhile, Maya was already out into the courtyard. She could only make it that far before touching down again and ducking behind a wall. She curled up on the ground behind that wall as she continued to get assailed by images and memories. Her head felt like it was about to explode.

She heard the Song of Time again, as if it was echoing from when she had played it earlier. But this time, instead of further agitating her, a wave of calm washed over her. She heard a voice in her head. It was a voice she recognized, even though she had never spoken to its owner. It was Din - the Goddess of Power. Somehow, Maya just knew.

i Never forget who you are! /i , Din said softly.

Maya's head stopped hurting completely as Din repeated her warning.

i Never forget who you are! /i

And suddenly, as if a spell on her mind had been lifted, Maya remembered everything.

Her legs shook horribly, but the girl forced herself to stand, keeping her back to the wall as support. She heard footsteps as Link ran by. He noticed her there and stopped. In a careful rush, he ran up to her.

"What happened in there?!" he asked. "Are you all right?"

In a reaction he completely didn't expect, the girl suddenly seized his shoulders, digging her fingernails in, then swung him around and pushed his back hard into the stone wall. She held him there and looked him straight in the eye. Her gaze was serious and determined.

"...Maya...," he whispered. "What's happening to you?"

"Listen to me i very /i carefully," the girl replied harshly. "This is all going to sound crazy to you, but you have to believe in me. I am i not /i Maya. Maya died a long time ago! That boy in there isn't Riku, either!

"...Maya..."

"NO!" she screamed at him, pulling him an inch forward, then slamming him back on the wall again. "I am not Maya! Link, you i have /i to remember who I am! ...This isn't real!" She reached back and pulled all of her long hair out in front of her, gripping it tightly. " i This /i is not real!" She suddenly waved her arm behind her at the surrounding scenery. "None of this is real! We can't stay here anymore! We have a job to do in the i real /i world!"

Link silently stared at her, unsure of what to do.

The girl started to cry. "None of this is real! You, me... and that boy in there... we have an important mission! And the longer we stay here, the worse off we'll be! He's trying to trick us! He's trying to keep us out of his way by making us believe that this peaceful place is the real world! It's not! We have to get out of here!" Starting to feel that the whole thing was hopeless, the girl started to sob, burying her face in Link's shirt. "...You have to remember who I am! Please!"

Jostled by all the commotion, the Sorcerer's Rune fell out from the front of Maya's shirt. Instead of its usual shape, it had taken on the shape of a golden Triforce.

Link didn't know what to do. Maya was obviously having some sort of mental breakdown. "I... I'm sorry, I..."

Suddenly, an overwhelming feeling came over him. It was a feeling of unease. Something in his gut was giving him the feeling that something was indeed wrong...

The girl pushed away from him gently, and wiped the tears from her eyes. Unexpectedly, she looked at Link and smiled very sweetly. "Never mind," she said, on the verge of crying again. "No need to get you mixed up in this yet. ...After all..." A single tear dropped. "You've had it rough your whole life... May as well enjoy this peace as long as you can..."

Just then, Riku came running down the path, clutching the Ocarina of Time protectively against his chest. He caught sight of the two, still standing amongst the bushes, and ran to his sister's side. He didn't say anything, but looked at her with teary eyes of worry.

Maya smiled at him, as well, then patted him on the head as if he were a child. "Take a break," she said softly before starting to walk away. "We'll have to go back to work soon, so... rest for now."

With that, she disappeared around the corner, heading back in the direction of the Great Hall.

Neither Link nor Riku moved for several seconds. Riku eventually looked at his companion with tears in his eyes. He was usually a really strong person, the type that always took charge of situations, but his sister was his weak point. If anything bad were to happen to her, he would just fall apart. That was why he was so protective of her, no matter how much it got on her nerves.

"...What's wrong with her?" he asked with a broken voice.

With his back still against the cold stone wall, Link continued to stare at the spot where Maya had stood as she yelled at him about this world being fake. "...I don't know," he answered quietly, finally changing where his eyes gazed. "But something's wrong."

"I can't understand it!" the brown-haired boy cried through his clenched teeth. "She's not thinking straight! Maybe she hurt herself!"

"No," Link suddenly said.

"What?"

"No, I didn't mean that something was wrong with Maya. Something is wrong with... I don't know, but something isn't right."

"I'm not following you," Riku replied, carefully slipping the Ocarina of Time into a pocket of his fancy cloak.

"Before you came, Maya was saying something about how this world was fake. And that... she wasn't Maya at all."

Riku continued to stare.

"She wouldn't say who she i really /i was, but kept insisting that she wasn't Maya... She kept begging me to remember..."

The appearance of strength gone completely, Riku started to cry. "She's lost her mind!" he shouted. "That experience with Ganondorf back then was so tramatic for her... I've feared this ever since then! She's finally snapped! She-- she--"

Link pushed off the wall and kept his eyes glued intently on the place where Maya had disappeared around the corner.

"Then," he said with a deep, serious voice, "why do I get the feeling that she's telling the truth?"

His head snapping up mid-sob, Riku stared in shock at his friend. "...You're just going to believe everything she said? Link, she's obviously ill."

"We need to talk to her again. Get her to tell us more." Link started to walk, but Riku immediately seized his shirt sleeve and held him fast.

"Are you listening to yourself?!", Riku half-shouted. "This world, fake? Some kind of illusion? It's entirely--"

"--possible?"

Riku again stared in mild shock.

"Come on, Riku," Link pressed, his face turning stern. "You're a sorcerer, aren't you? Haven't you noticed anything strange?"

"...No, not really."

"...Well, I didn't either. But now that Maya pointed it out, indeed, something doesn't feel right about all this. It's not like the sky is the wrong color or anything, but... I can't really explain it."

"Link..."

"I know you're thinking I'm losing my mind, too, and maybe I am. But can't we at least talk to her again? Maybe she can tell us more."

Riku's eyes pierced into Link's, suddenly strong and serious. "...Link, I'm surprised how quick you are to believe all this. ...Does this have anything to do with your feelings for my sister?"

"My-- My what?!" Link took a step back.

The boy let go of Link's shirt and crossed his arms. "I'm your friend - you can't hide it from me."

"N-No, it's not like that. I... the princess.. Maya's just a good friend to me."

"...Yeah, you keep on lying to yourself. Link, put your feelings for Maya aside for a minute and think about this logically."

Starting to get visibly irritated, Link stood his ground. "I still think we need to talk to her again. I think there's something to all this."

Riku took a step back, surrendering for now. "What if you're wrong?"

Link raked his fingers through his blond hair. "If I'm wrong, we take your sister home and do our best to take care of her." He started to run after Maya, and Riku quickly fell into step behind him.

"But," he added, "I'm getting a stronger and stronger feeling that I'm i not /i wrong."

-------

Maya saw that the doors to the Great Hall were still wide open. If the power center was anywhere nearby, this would be a good place to start looking.

Maya was convinced that to keep a mind spell this powerful in effect on three people at once, there had to be a center of power radiating the energy. Otherwise, the one that put this spell on her and her companions would have to concentrate on the spell constantly. And if she was right about his plans, that wouldn't be good for business. After all, Maya supposed that the entire point of all this trouble was to keep the three of them out of the way, but not actually i kill /i them. Why kill them when he could display them like trophes? Then, he'd be free to wreak whatever havoc he wanted.

She had managed to free her own mind from the magic, but since she was still stuck in this world, and Link and Riku had no idea of what was really going on, the spell was still going strong. If she could find and destroy the power center, the spell would be broken.

But where was it? And, would she be i able /i to destroy it?

She stepped into the Hall, pausing long enough for her eyes to adjust to the bright lights. The crowd had broken into groups of people talking amongst themselves. None of them had seen her re-enter the room. The King and Queen were still by the thrones, talking to each other in hushed voices. Princess Zelda was pacing in front of them, wringing her hands with worry.

Still standing in the doorway, Maya closed her eyes, and sent her magic throughout the room. Though her eyes remained closed, she could still see the darkened forms of everyone in the room. The outlines of the people continued to talk to each other, unaware of her presence. That's all they were, though - outlines. She couldn't sense any kind of magic from them. ...Maybe the power center was somewhere else.

Just as she was about to open her eyes again, Maya suddenly saw one of the forms running to her from the other side of the room. It was Princess Zelda - it seems that she had been discovered. But something about Zelda's running form was different from everyone else in the room. Within the outline of the princess's body, she was nothing but magical energy. It was a strange magic - both dark and light at the same time. It chilled Maya to look at it. Her heart skipped a beat as she realized what it was she was looking at.

Maya's eyes snapped open and the spell ended. Everything came back into focus and regained its color as the worried princess reached Maya. She put her slender hands into Maya's hands. She was talking to her, her eyes laced with concern. She was talking, but Maya didn't hear her. She wasn't listening. One thing kept racing through her mind - Princess Zelda was the power center.

With a smirk and a low chuckle, Maya muttered, "Very smart."

The princess stopped talking. "What?" she asked.

Maya's brilliantly-colored green eyes looked up right into Zelda's, and she said, "It was very smart of you to hide the power center of your little spell somewhere that would be the i least /i likely to be discovered, let alone i attacked /i by us."

"M-Miss Maya?" Zelda whispered.

"Don't pull that innocence act with me!" Maya shouted as electricity suddenly coursed through her entire body, knocking Zelda back several feet. The dust hadn't even settled before the crowd started to rush forward to come to their princess's aid.

"Stay away!!" Maya shrieked, pointing at the ground a ways off to her left side, and then sweeping her finger across the room in a half-circle. A wall of wind suddenly rose in a wide arc around her and the princess, acting as a barrier, keeping everyone else out.

The sorceress's eyes were dark as she glared at the crowd, as several of them attempted to cross the wind barrier, only to be thrown back. "None of you are real!", she shouted. "I will i not /i hesistate to attack you. Stay away." The girl turned back to Zelda, who was cowering on the floor in fear.

Zelda was in tears. "What's happening to you, Miss Maya?"

Link and Riku appeared in the doorway behind her just then.

Maya laughed loudly. "It's very convincing, but you're wasting your time on me! Your spell no longer affects my mind! I remember i everything /i !"

As soon as Zelda stood again, Maya lunged at her, her hands charged with magic, prepared to strike. Zelda was defenseless against her, but just before Maya reached her, Link grabbed her arm and used her own momentum from the charge to swing her around in a circle and throw her back toward the door, almost right into Riku.

Maya quickly regained her balance and turned back to face Link, who was standing protectively in front of Zelda. Maya heard Riku shouting at her from where he stood behind her, but she wasn't listening to him. She glared right back at Link. "Move!!" she yelled.

"I agree with you that something is amiss here," Link shouted back, "but what the i hell /i are you doing?!"

The sorceress pointed an accusing finger past his shoulder, at Zelda. "She's not the real princess, damn it! He's disguised the center of the spell in her form so it would be safe! If I can destroy it, we'll all be free from this fake world!"

Link didn't back down an inch. "This is too far, Maya! Calm down, and we'll go somewhere and talk about this! But I'm not going to allow you to hurt Zelda, no matter i what's /i going through your head!"

Maya yelled in anger and charged again. This time, with no magic. It was just a bare-hands attack, fueled by rage and frustration. Zelda cowered as Maya approached, but Link intercepted, grappling with her, refusing to let her pass. Riku continued to shout, begging his sister to stop.

The sorceress continued to punch and claw at the princess, determined to destroy the power center. Link managed to block every blow, continuingly pushing her back. At one point, she took at swing at him in anger, but he easily blocked it. All the while, Maya continue to shout at Link about them being in danger, angry at him for not seeing it himself. She was so upset that all logic was long gone, and her actions were fueled entirely by frustration.

Finally, Maya started to work up magic in her right hand to strike at Zelda with, knowing full well Link wouldn't be able to block it. Unable to see any other options, Link reared back his left arm and struck Maya across the face.

In shock from the blow, Maya stopped attacking and staggered back.

The room fell dead silent.

Maybe Riku was right, Link thought as he slowly lowered his arm again, letting it drop at his side. Maybe he i did /i have some feelings for Maya. Doing what he just did utterly broke his heart.

Maya straightened up again, her hair falling in front of her eyes. She held her sore cheek with one hand. After a few awkward moments, she gritted her teeth, threw her head to the side to get her hair out of her face, and yelled at Link again.

"Damn it, Long Ears, get out of the way!"

As soon as she called him that name, something flashed through Link's mind. That taunt sounded so familiar that it triggered something. First, a name, and then a stream of images came to him, accompanied by a wave of emotions and memories. It was as if a cloud had been lifted. The girl standing in front of him, shouting angrily, suddenly took on a whole new identity.

"Listen to me, please...," Maya continued, suddenly calming down considerably. "You i have /i to trust me. The only way for us to get out of this is--"

"Lydia?"

"--to destroy the power center, which he so cleverly disguised as..." She stopped and stared. "...Wait, what?"

Link was smiling. "I remembered your name just now."

He had said her name so suddenly that it didn't even register in her mind that it was her i real /i name that he had said. Tears flowing anew, Lydia smiled back with joy.

"Now we're getting somewhere," she said happily.

Zelda looked back and forth between them. She seemed... strangely nervous.

As Riku looked on, he was having second thoughts of his own. Something about the way Maya was acting ever since having that breakdown during the ceremony was really, really familiar. It was like she had taken on an entirely different personality... and it was somebody he knew very well. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew this person Maya had become.

His sister was turning around to look at him. Her smiling face calmed him somewhat, but not enough to be at ease with the current situation. Riku looked at her, a little nervously. "..Maya.. what's...?"

Her kind smile was her first response. "Don't worry, kid" she then said. "It'll all make sense soon."

With that, she turned to face Zelda. In turn, Link left Zelda's side and joined Lydia.

"Link?" Zelda called meekly.

Her inquiry was met with a bit of a glare from her servant. "Sorry," he said to her in a less-than-humble tone, "but we can't waste any more time in this place."

The princess looked at Link, then at Lydia, then back at Link. Suddenly, her look of helplessness changed into something threatening. Her lips curled into a smile, and her eyes began to glow red. Like an animal, she jumped back several feet. Her fingers curled, as if they were claws, and her hair swirled as magic rose up around her. The crowd that still looked on outside the wind barrier slowly faded from view, like smoke wafting through the air.

She spoke then - her voice had become the voice of a man they all knew very well by now. Ganondorf's voice.

"Why?!", he demanded. "I created the perfect world for you so that you wouldn't bother me anymore! Why must you insist on destroying this for yourselves?"

Riku remained in the doorway, staring in shock. What Maya had been saying was... true?

"You're right, this place i is /i nice," Lydia snapped back, "but it's not real! Living in a place that's not real isn't living!"

Link's mouth was curled into a cocky smirk. "Living without messing up all of your plans isn't living, either!"

The princess laughed loudly in Ganondorf's booming voice.

"Then, I have no choice!" he proclaimed. "I'll just have to beat you down and erase your minds again!"

"Like hell you will!" Lydia shouted. She already had a fireball worked up in her right hand, which she promptly heaved in the princess's direction as hard as she could. The magic exploded on impact, sending a shockwave through the room. When the smoke cleared, she still stood intact, laughing tauntingly at the sorceress.

"Won't work!" Ganondorf shouted. "I've protected the spell's center from your magic, but it's not flawless. Fortunately for me, the only thing that could possibly help you is not in your possession in this world! In fact, that nice little gadget you made is helping to keep it out of your hands! You're stuck here, whether you like it or not!"

Riku gritted his teeth and balled his hands into fists. What he was talking about must surely be... Riku didn't fully understand what was going on, but he was certain now that Maya had been telling the truth before. He i had /i to do something. Without saying a word, Riku backed out of the Great Hall and took off down the hallway as fast as he could run. If he could just get the keys, maybe they'd have a shot!

Back in the Hall, both Lydia and Link had also figured out what Ganondorf was referring to. Link glanced back at the plain broadsword in the sheath strapped to his back with no small amount of disgust. The newly-constructed Ocarina of Time was made to protect and control the newly-constructed seal to protect what they needed to destroy the spell's power center - the Master Sword.

The Ocarina! Riku still had it! If they could get it, then...! Lydia spun around to where her brother had been standing, and was shocked to realize that he had disappeared. Did he run away?!

Link was obviously thinking the same thing. "...What now?"

"I'll blast through that door if I have to! We have to try!" The sorceress spun around to face Zelda again, and placed her two index fingers together perpendicularly. " b Raphas Seed! /b "

A ring of glowing energy appeared around Zelda and tightened in an instant, pinning her arms down and holding her in place like chains. Then, in something completely new, Lydia threw her arms forward and quickly chanted something in a completely different language. There was a flash of light, and a brightly-growing magic circle appeared around Zelda. Lydia lowered her arms and smiled.

"...What was that?" Link asked. "I've never seen that before."

The girl smiled at him. "Maya knew a couple of tricks that I didn't, apparently. It's a magic seal. It'll keep her, er... i him /i quiet for a little while."

Zelda's red eyes glared at them, but she still had a smile on her face. "This won't hold me for long!" Ganondorf announced mockingly. "What, oh what will you be able to do between now and then, I wonder?"

Lydia was already on the move, pulling Link by the wrist. He/she was right - that rune wouldn't hold for very long, especially if her magic power was dulled in this reality. She took off down the hallway, back toward the courtyard. There was no time to look for Riku. They'd have to find a way to get through the Door of Time, by force, if need be.

Hyrule Market was always very quiet at night, save for the few guards that always wandered about. It was particularly quiet this night, since everyone was supposed to be up at the castle. Quickly running across the cobblestone walkways, Lydia and Link headed for the Temple of Time, standing magestically on the west side of town.

It felt a little strange running into an intact Temple of Time. Back in reality, the temple had been destroyed. Even so, it was a welcome feeling.

The two stopped in front of the altar at the base of the platform where the huge, thick Door of Time stood, acting as a barrier between the Master Sword and the rest of the world. Thet stood at the altar, staring down at the three hollows, both having the same realization.

Link looked at Lydia and muttered, "...Even if we had the Ocarina with us, we don't have the Spiritual Stones..."

Lydia pulled at her hair in frustration. "We never catch a break!"

They were suddenly distracted from their plight by explosions outside. They were coming closer with every second. Only thinking of one thing it could possibly be, the two ran back to the large doorway and back outside.

Sure enough, the Ganondorf-ized Princess Zelda was sailing through the air, almost insanely angry, which was a drastic change from the cocky attitude from before. She was endlessly throwing magic in front of her. Lydia's stomach dropped when she saw that it was Riku flying just ahead of the princess, changing direction repeatedly to avoid the magical attacks. From the looks of him, he must have taken a few hits already, but somehow had managed to stay in the air.

Springing into an action like a team that had been fighting together for years, Link began by sending a sacred Light Arrow in the princess's direction. She had to swerve to miss it, and only barely avoided it, and wasn't able to regain her bearings before Lydia had finished chanting in that other language from before. A magic circle just like the last one flew i through /i the air, and hit the princess head on, surrounding her and knocking her out of the sky.

Riku flew low and landed somewhat awkwardly near them. He was quickly pulled into the temple and out of sight of the enraged princess.

Lydia checked him over for injuries quickly, saying, "You got out of there before the fighting started! Why was he coming after i you /i ?!"

Unexpectedly, her question was first answered by Riku's triumphant smile. "I found something that he didn't know was kept in the castle, and he was pretty angry at me for it. I barely got away." He reached into a sack tied to his belt and produced three stones, one red, one blue, and one green.

Link stared at them, amazed. "Since when have the Spiritual Stones been kept in the castle?!"

Riku smirked. "Since I secretly gathered them in case we would need them for making the Ocarina." He reached into his cloak pocket and pulled the Ocarina of Time out, and handed it to his sister. "We'll have to move fast. That seal won't hold."

Lydia smiled. "Well well, Riku, I guess you i are /i useful for something."

The boy looked at her. "Come on, now, you know my real name, don't you? You can stop calling me Riku."

"Eh?"

"I guess it was i my /i turn to remember some things. ...Really, when you think about it, this mind spell is somewhat pathetic. To think it would almost crumble completely when one person made a crack in it. Good job with that, by the way."

Lydia laughed and wrapped her arms around her brother's neck. "Thanks, Gordon."

"Uh," Link suddenly cut in, "I'd like to take this opportunity to remind you both that we've on a i very /i tight schedule here."

"Right," Lydia nodded. "Let's finish this quickly."

Gordon ran forward first, quickly placing the three Spiritual Stones in their hollows. Lydia was right behind him, and began to play the Song of Time as soon as the final stone was in place. The Triforce design above the Door lit up, and with a loud creak of complaint, the stone began to part and open. Link ran ahead and disappeared through the Door before it was even fully open.

There was another explosion outside, and before either of the sorcerers could move, Zelda/Ganondorf was in the doorway. Magic rose up from around her as she glared at them. She noticed the open Door, and growled at them loudly. "...Why?" Ganondorf's voice demanded. "I thought a peaceful Hyrule was what you people i wanted /i ."

Lydia raised an eyebrow. "Didn't we go through this already?"

The magic in the room grew stronger. "I don't understand you! Why do you put yourselves through such danger, when your efforts will most likely be in vain?! I'm going to kill you all anyway! Why do you struggle so? This world is corrupt and I simply want to start it over. I want to i save /i this world, you see? The people you fight for are selfish and corrupt! Why do you defy me so, quite possibly at the cost of your own lives?!"

Gordon took a step forward and shouted, "People in this world may indeed have selfish tendencies, but they have good hearts! We fight for the goodness in the people of this world!"

"At the risk of sounding clichéd," Lydia added, "we fight for truth and justice, something the likes of you will never understand!"

With truly cinematic timing, Link emerged from the darkness behind the open Door of Time just then at a sprint. Held off to his left side was the gleaming Master Sword. The Hylian leapt over the alter and charged the fake Princess Zelda. "And we have to get back to the world we love." He held the sword high. " i You're in our way! /i "

The Master Sword slid through the fake princess like butter, glowing brilliantly as it passed through. Ganondorf's voice screamed in anger as the form before them writhed, and slowly turned to smoke and evaporated.

From the place where the power center stood exploded a bright light. Lydia closed her eyes to it. Everything around them went white and disappeared.

After several quiet moments, Lydia worked up the courage to open her eyes again. The scenery had changed. It was dark and gloomy, and it smelled really dank in this room she found herself in. It was moist and there was mold everywhere. Her eyes focused eventually, and recognized this place to be a dungeon of some kind. She realized just then that she was sitting on the cold floor with her back to the wall. Her arms were uncomfortably chained to the wall just above her head.

The girl glanced to her right and saw Link, back the way she had always remembered him, in the green tunic, with the Master Sword strapped to his back. He was next to her, his arms chained in a similar way. Just past him was Gordon. Both of them were starting to wake up as well.

Once all three of them were awake and aware of where they were, smiling at one another, Lydia said, "Are we awesome or what?"

"Good call on your part," her brother said, smiling.

"Can you get those chains off yourself?"

"Of course." With that, he started to expel some magic from his hands, slowly burning through the shackles that held his wrists. "Say, how did you see through the spell?"

"Hmm," Lydia hummed as she started to burn through her shackles in a similar way. "I suppose having Ganondorf's nasty magic in my head for a while helped me build up a little immunity to it. As you said, once I put a dent in the spell by breaking free of it like that, the whole thing started to come apart."

"Pretty sloppy job."

"He must have whipped it up in a hurry. His To-Do list must be pretty long."

"Why not just kill us? Why bother with this whole mind spell thing?"

"Remember, Ganondorf is one sick dude. He probably thought it'd be cooler to put us on display instead."

Link hadn't said anything since coming to. Lydia lowered her head and tried to look him in the eye. "You okay?" she asked.

He looked up at her and smiled a little bit. "Yes, I'm fine."

Lydia's shackles finally fell, clanging loudly on the floor. She turned and started to burn through the ones that held Link on the wall. "Don't move, now," she warned. "Wouldn't want me to accidentally take your hand off or anything."

Link's eyes were to the floor. "...I'm sorry," he whispered.

"Hmm? For what?"

"...For hitting you. Back then."

The girl's eyes softened, and she stopped the magic for a moment. She leaned down and kissed Link softly on the cheek. "Forget it," she said before going back to burning through the shackles.

"Still..."

"I said forget it. It couldn't be helped. I i was /i kinda going out of my mind. ...Besides, we've got more important stuff to worry about now. Ganondorf is surely on his way here right now to attack us. I don't know how long we've been in his dungeon, but I'm feeling pretty weak. We need to get out of here and regroup."

Gordon's shackles clanged to the floor, and he stood immediately. There was a window in the far corner of the room, and the sorcerer immediately went over and looked outside. The clouds were black, the wind howled, and the heat from what was unmistakably the pool of magma radiated from somewhere below. "Sure enough," he called back to his companions, "we're in Ganon's Tower."

Once Link's arms were free, he stood as well, momentarily using the moist wall for support. He almost lost his balance and fell again, but Lydia grabbed his arm and helped him stand up straight. He was so weak! Both she and Gordon were able to stand on their own, but Link couldn't seem to. When he suddenly clutched his chest in pain, she worriedly whispered his name.

"You're right, Lyd," he replied in a strained voice. "He's coming."

The Triforce of Courage. Of course. Link was the only one of the three of them that still had a piece of the Triforce. It must have been reacting to Ganondorf's presense coming closer. Not only that, Ganondorf now had i two /i pieces... No wonder Link couldn't seem to pull himself together.

Gordon joined up with them quickly and took hold of Link's other arm, swinging it around his own shoulders. "Even if we can get out of here in time," he asked urgently, "where are we going to be able to hide long enough to recover? He'll be after us constantly! We're not going to just be left alone after this!"

"We'll worry about that later," Lydia pressed, leaving Link to Gordon and moving ahead. "First things first."

The group made quick work of the basement they were held in. There were a few locked doors blocking their path, but Lydia was more than happy to blast through them. It was several frustrating minutes before they found the stairs up to the main floor, but they were again delayed when Link had another attack of pain and had to stop. While waiting for Link to recover enough to keep moving, Lydia scouted ahead a little ways, trying to find the way out of that place. All the while, the forboding feeling in her gut continued to strengthen. Before even expecting to, Lydia came upon a familiar hallway. She had been in this place before, while under the influence of Ganondorf's magic. This was the main hallway of the ground floor that led to the exit.

Thankful for her good luck, Lydia led the way as soon as the two boys caught up. As they started to head for the large open doorway, the walls of the Tower started to shake, and a rumbling could be heard in the distance, like rolling thunder. Link again grabbed his chest and winced in pain, but refused to allow himself to slow down.

"Hang in there, Long Ears!" Lydia shouted back. "We're almost out."

'Almost' was indeed the correct word, it turned out. As soon as they emerged from the Tower and out into the open air, they immediately had to stop again. They found themselves looking down upon the lake of magma, and there was no way across. No bridge or anything. The path they had been running on just ended abruptly, as if there had been a bridge there previously, but it had been destroyed.

"We'll have to fly over," Gordon stated.

Lydia motioned with her hand for him to not move. "That anti-magic field is still up!"

"Then, we're i stuck /i here?!" Link groaned loudly. "What are we supposed to--"

He suddenly stopped speaking midsentence, and stared up at the sky above them, as if he had suddenly seen something. Lydia and Gordon followed suit, expecting to see Ganondorf there, but there was nothing. Just dark, nasty clouds.

"Uh.. Link?" Lydia asked, nudging his arm softly. "What's wrong?"

"Ssh," was his short reply.

The two sorcerers looked at each other and shrugged. They watched Link as he stared at the sky for another few moments. Finally, he smiled and took his eyes back down, away from the clouds.

"We're getting a little help," he announced.

Right then, the sky lit up with little balls of light in six different colors. They descended somewhat slowly at first, but then there was a flood of them, falling from the sky and collecting in the space above the lava pit where a bridge would normally be. Finally, there was a bright flash of light.

Standing before them now was a bridge made of rainbow-colored light, which would allow them to safely get across the pit.

Lydia edged forward and checked the glowing bridge with her foot to make sure it was actually solid. She spun around and looked Link in the eye. "What i was /i that?"

"The six sages," the Hylian replied.

The sorceress paused for a moment, then flashed an excited thumbs-up. "Awesome!" she shouted with a wide smile.

"Let's not waste any more time!" Gordon advised urgently. "Otherwise, he'll find us!'

The three quickly ran across the bridge and started to sprint toward Hyrule Market. The Market was, as always, littered with ReDeads. The sorcerers each took a side, and used various spells to cut completely through the crowd. None slowed down even a bit as they headed for Hyrule Field. After jumping across the moat, Link had another attack and stumbled, almost losing his balance. But he managed to pull himself together quickly, and they continued to run. Even though they were well beyond the boundries of the anti-magic field, they were too intent on getting away to stop running, even though they had no idea what their destination was.

Suddenly, a bolt of black lighting broke through the clouds and struck the ground almost on top of them. All three went flying in different directions, rolling several feet. Lydia and Gordon jumped up immediately. It took Link a few moments longer to stand again.

Standing where the lighting had struck was a very pissed-off Ganondorf. His body radiated with energy from the Triforces of Power and Wisdom. The Gerudo's head turned to look at Link, and his entire body suddenly churned with that energy even more powerfully. Link howled in pain and dropped to his knees as the Triforce of Courage reacted.

"Stay down," his dark, ominous voice commanded. He then turned to gaze intently at the two sorcerers, who were on the opposite side of him from where Link had landed after that blast. "You've bothered me enough. No more games."

The man jumped back almost fifty feet in one bound, aided by his own powers. He crossed his arms over his head, and then threw them down at his sides as red magic suddenly coursed through his body, lighting up the entire area. He yelled in anger as the magic surrounded him. His body began to change as the Triforces of Power and Wisdon did as they were commanded.

Link writhed in pain on the ground the whole time. The energy output from the other two Triforce pieces being used for evil was making the Triforce of Courage go absolutely berserk.

Ganondorf's body continued to course with magic and grow in size. When it was all over, he stood at least six time as tall as he had before. He had taken on a completely different shape. From what the sorcerers could tell in the darkness of the surrounding night, it looked like he had taken the form a giant Moblin. The hooves, horns, and snout of a Moblin were obvious, even in the darkness. In his hands, he held two large, very threatening-looking sais. It looked like a direct hit from one of those blades could slice a person right in half.

When the transformation was complete, Ganon threw his ugly head back and roared.

Gordon nervously touched his sister's arm. "Eh... Any ideas?"

"This is serious," Lydia replied, stating the obvious. "...I think now's the time for the big reveal of my secret weapon."

He had almost forgotten about it. Ever since being thrown back to their own world several years before, Lydia had been working on a spell in secret, and had only recently finished it.

The girl looked at her brother and gently pushed him away. "Take care of Link. Both of you guys back off. I'll need space."

Gordon was hesitant, and almost refused to leave, but decided that his sister knew what he was doing. He ran off, keeping one eye on the mutated monstrosity that now loomed nearby. When he reached Link, the Hylian was starting to attempt to stand again. Gordon grabbed his arm and started to pull him away.

Ganon watched them for a moment, then decided to let them go. He was far more interested in the girl that still stood before him, defying him. She glared at him with a rare kind of hatred.

"Well," the enormous pig's booming voice taunted, "what are you going to do now? Fight me?"

Lydia smirked. "I've got a little surprise I've been saving just for you."

"Really. Interesting. I am invincible now, so you don't even threaten me with your cocky taunt." Ganon stuck his chin out, and pointed right at it with the blade of one of his weapons. "Give me your best shot. Right here."

Taking cover behind one of the low brick walls that lay around Hyrule Field, Link was starting to regain his bearings and was standing on his own. He saw Ganon's giant form looming over the much smaller Lydia, but she wasn't backing down at all. He started to run out from behind the wall, but Gordon grabbed him and pulled him back.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Link shouted angrily.

Gordon's eyes hadn't left the scene, even for a moment. "She's okay."

"We all know the Dragon Slave doesn't hurt him anymore! What's she going to do out there by herself?! I'm going!" He tried to run out again, but was yet again dragged back by the sorcerer.

"She's going to try her secret weapon!" Gordon explained in an urgent voice.

Link looked at him, a bit bewildered. "...You mean that thing from all that time ago?"

"It's a spell she worked on for years. Even I don't know what it is. But we're about to find out. It must really pack a punch, for her to have kept it secret all this time."

Even so, Link stood on the balls of his feet, ready to run out and fight if anything went wrong.

Ganon continued to wait, his monstrous chin still stuck out mockingly. "Anytime, witch. I'll even stand nice and still for you."

Lydia smiled at him sweetly. "Aw, thanks." The smile faded to a determined frown, and the sorceress closed her eyes. "Prepare to die." She held her hands out to her sides, turned her face up toward the sky, and started to chant a spell.

b "Bird of purity, reborn from flames,

against whom no evil could ever stand..." /b

Little pieces of white magic began to swirl around her like fireflies.

b "In the name of justice and the forces of nature,

I summon thee from the depths of time itself!" /b

More white magic began to gather at the edges of Hyrule Field. As soon as it took form, it rushed inward like a great wind toward where Lydia stood and began to swirl around her body.

b "Have no pity on the evil that stands in my way!

Enfuse me with power! Let your strength become mine!" /b

"Wh-what is this?!" Ganon said, suddenly nervous.

Lydia's body was almost completely covered with white magic. She held her hands high above her head, and magic started to gather there, as well.

b "To wipe it from the face of this Earth,

to deliver unto it the ultimate fate!!" /b

The sorceress threw her arms out to her sides, like wings, and screamed at the top of her lungs.

b i "PHOENIX FLARE!!" /i /b

In an explosion of white light, something emerged from behind where she stood, and flew up into the sky, taking the form of a giant bird. Its tail alone was as long as its body, and the wingspan was incredible. It beat its great wings as it sailed up into the sky, sounding a loud call as it entered the battle.

"A bird?!" Link shouted.

"A phoenix!!" Gordon replied excitedly, his eyes dancing with amazement. "T-that's pure white magic! I thought she couldn't use white magic well enough to produce something like this! How could she possibly--"

"Look!" Link pointed to where Lydia stood, on the ground beneath where the great bird flew, and Gordon looked, trying to see through the swirling white magic.

Lydia remained planted on the spot, her arms held in front of her, her teeth gritted with the effort of keeping the spell under control. But what Link had noticed was that it wasn't just Lydia standing there anymore. Somebody was standing right behind her, holding Lydia's arms steady, helping her to control the spell, while at the same time channeling their own magical energy through the sorceress. It looked like Lydia was taking that second person's energy and was channeling it into the spell.

Link and Gordon recognized the person immediately but were hesitant to believe what they were seeing.

It was Maya.

"B-But," Link stammered in shock, "...how?!"

Gordon smiled. "The phoenix is the bird of rebirth... The spell must have summoned Maya's spirit into this world."

"...From the looks of things... It looks more like Maya just wanted to help, and came on her own."

"It doesn't really matter how. With Maya's help, Lydia's able to keep the spell going. That's what matters." He looked back up at the great white phoenix in the sky, just in time to see it beat its huge wings once and start a dive.

Ganon didn't even have a chance to move before the phoenix hit the ground where he stood at an incredible speed. On impact, the bird exploded, and white magic expanded in a great dome, spreading across the entire Field. Even with their arms held up in front of their tightly-closed eyes, Gordon and Link were still blinded by the brilliant light that surrounded them. In the midst of the dome of pure white magic, Gordon started to feel strong again. Any lingering pain Link still felt was washed away. The power of the spell was so great that all sound was blown away like dust - all they could hear was the sound of wind rushing through their ears.

Eventually, the dome receeded - slowly at first, then quickly as it got smaller. Link and Gordon reappeared, still crouched behind the low brick wall. The dome continued to recede, and Lydia came back into view. Once again, she was alone, as if she had been the entire time. She dropped to her knees in exhaustion.

The dome continued to shrink until it was only the size of its target. It then dispersed in a quiet puff of magic, leaving behind a thick fog.

They strained their eyes to see through the fog that continued to hide the spot where Ganon had stood. Had he finally been destroyed?

Lydia raised her head as the fog slowly dispersed. It quickly thinned out enough to see... and the sorceress's heart dropped.

The monstrous Ganon still stood. He was breathing heavily, and his muscles twitched, as if prepared to strike.

"No...," Lydia moaned weakly as tears streamed down her face. "...How...?"

Link broke away from Gordon and started to run before the sorcerer could stop him again.

Ganon raised one of his weapons and laughed loudly. "That hurt, little lady! You gave me quite a scare! I'm going to have to i punish you /i !"

Lydia stood quickly, staring in fear at the giant weapon poised above Ganon's head. There was no way she'd be quick enough to get out of its way!

"You've troubled me long enough, wench!" Ganon screamed angrily. "DIE!" He swung the weapon down in a horizontal arc.

" i No!! /i "

Lydia was suddenly shoved hard as Link threw himself into her, knocking her out of Ganon's reach.

As she flew through the air, Lydia watched the whole thing unfold in horror. It all seemed to happen in slow motion, even though it happened so quickly. Link was hit with the full force of the weapon's strike, and flew through the air off to Ganon's side as he followed through with the blow. The Hylian hit the ground and rolled several feet before finally coming to a stop. He didn't move at all.

The sorceress remained where she had landed, rooted to the ground, shaking like a leaf.

Gordon was the same. He had followed Link after he ran out from behind the brick wall, but the Hylian was much faster on foot than he. Now the sorcerer stood where he had stopped running, his entire body numb with the shock of what he had just watched. His brain shut down - he couldn't think straight. He kept watching Link's limp frorm, silently begging him to get up - to at least i move /i ...

Lydia stood on shaky legs. Now that she was standing, she could see Link better. He was face-down on the ground, lying in a pool of his own blood, which was expanding with each passing second.

She knew the truth, but didn't want to believe it. She refused to! ...But several more seconds passed with no change, and Lydia's mind finally registered it.

Link was dead.

The girl started screaming, completely losing her mind with crippling grief. Her legs gave out, and she hopelessly clawed at the dirt beneath her. She didn't even notice when her brother charged Ganon, screaming with rage, preparing to unload some kind of magic into him. She didn't notice Ganon swinging his weapon, slamming the blunt side of it into Gordon's torso, sending him flying into a tree trunk. She didn't notice as Ganon concentrated magic around him, and started to shrink back down to his normal size and take on his original Gerudo form again.

Quietly sobbing, Lydia slowly lifted her forehead out of the dirt. Ganondorf was approaching Link's fallen form, chucking to himself. The girl pushed herself up into a sitting position as Ganondorf bent down and started rummaging through Link's blood-stained clothes, looking for something. When he straightened up, he held the Ocarina of Time in his hand.

The Gerudo walked away from Link a few paces, toward where Lydia still sat, her face and shirt front soaked with tears. The Sorcerer's Rune had fallen out from inside her shirt, but reflected no light. It seemed dull.

Ganondorf smirked at her. "...So this is what happens. So much for that justice you claim to fight for. Where is it now, eh? Where's your beloved justice?!"

Lydia sobbed, unable to say anything.

The Evil King continued. "I must admit, that was very noble of him. I wouldn't have expected him to go that far. I'm impressed." He smiled at Lydia. "In his honor, I will allow you to live. ...Live on, with the knowledge that this--" He swung his arm around and pointed toward where Link lay. "--is i your /i fault!"

Feeling like she had just been kicked in the stomach, the sorceress stared back at the Gerudo man. ...He was right... A wave of grief, now mixed with guilt, washed over her, and she sobbed anew.

Ganondorf held the Ocarina of Time out at arms' length and bellowed with laughter. "Live on with your guilt!"

As he continued to laugh, he tightened his grip on the Ocarina. After a few seconds, the Ocarina shattered to pieces.

There was a blast of magic from the broken Ocarina that hit Lydia like a brick wall. Everything went white, and the ground dropped out from beneath her. She felt like she was flying, and started to lose consciousness. All she heard was Ganondorf's trumphant laughter, slowly fading away into nothingness.

------

When she opened her eyes, she was right away poked in the eye by a blade of grass, and sat up with a start. Her head throbbed, and her body ached. Lydia looked around. Where was this? This wasn't Hyrule Field...

New tears flowed down her cheeks as she recognized where she was. It was her front yard. ...Back in her own world. Her house... her parents' car... the neighbors' dog that barked constantly...

The Ocarina of Time... was destroyed. It was the Ocarina that had taken them to and had kept them in Hyrule. When it was destroyed... the magic keeping them in Hyrule was destroyed, too.

She saw her brother, lying unconscious by the bushes. She weakly crawled over to him, and touched him where Ganon had struck him. He groaned in pain at her touch. He was alive. His glasses were broken, and he was bruised all over... maybe a couple broken ribs... but he was alive.

The same couldn't be said for...

She cried. She didn't try to stand up. She didn't try to move. She didn't try to think. ...She cried.

It was all over. Everything... Everything was over.

She cried.

b END OF PART II /b

* * *

ATTENTION READERS!!! 

Because I'm such a nice person, I've already written the first chapter of Part III. You'd think I'd leave you with a cliffhanger like THIS? That would be just cruel and unusual. However, you won't see the next chapter at Fanfiction dot net.

Yeah, I'm finally giving up on this site.

The formatting is too messed up and HTML doesn't work. I LIKE my italics and my bolded text. I LIKE having paragraphs where they're SUPPOSED to be.

From now on, WA will be hosted ONLY at my website, Zelda Infinite, under the name Goddess Rinoa.   
The address is www dot zelda-infinite dot com. (I can't write out the actual URL because this site automatically formats it out. I outsmarted you this time, FF! The day is mine!)

I know some of you have it set so that e-mails you when I put up something new. Well, ZI doesn't have that feature, so you have two options.

1. Get into the habit of checking the site every once in a while.

2. E-mail me - I can put your name on a mailing list of people I will send a mass-email to when I finish a new chapter. The address is lydiasan at gmail dot com.

So, I know you're eager to read the next chapter. You'll find it in the "Fan Stuff" section of the site, under "Fan Fiction".

Note that you can also find me anytime at ZI's message boards - I'm the head administrator, so naturally, I'm around a lot. The name I use is Goddess Rinoa.

Happy trails, see you there, and such. I hope you continue to enjoy WA.

See you over at ZI.

Miss Lydia


	36. Final Notice! 1272005

Hey, all. 

There's just been some confusion regarding what's going on, and I wanted to clear it up, and I figured this was the best way to notify everybody.

Like I said before, WA is now offically and completely moved to my website, Zelda Infinite.  
www dot zelda-infinite dot com. (Heh, silly FF dot net. Outsmarted again, eh?)

The name I use there is Goddess Rinoa - I'm the head administrator - easy to find.

I've gotten one or two e-mails to my personal e-mail asking to receive e-mail notification when I update the story, which I'm quite happy about, but I am concerned that there were some people that sent the request to the mail address listed at the site: webmaster at zelda-infinite dot com   
If you sent me an e-mail to that address, **YOU MUST RE-SEND IT**. That address was hopelessly spam-bombed, but I've deleted EVERYTHING, and have set up filters. So if you sent me an e-mail there, you need to send it again, and I'll put you on the list of people to e-mail when I upload a new chapter.

Of course, you also have a second option. As the webmaster, I have access to main-page updates. So, whenever a new chapter goes up, there will be an update on the main page regarding it, so you'll find out that way too, if you get into the habit of checking the page once a week or so.

Another thing you could do to stay up on things is to join us over at the Z-I message boards. I'm all up and down that thing when there's a new chapter done.  
Here's a fun consequence of doing it this way - you'll also know whenever I draw a new comic for ZI. ...Yeah, I do that sometimes. They're kinda goofy, but...

Anywho, I just wanted to make sure everyone was aware of the changes. No excuses, now.  
So, if you haven't gone over to ZI and read the first chapter of Part III, now's the time. I'm probably going to start work on the next chapter pretty soon, after I do a little more research, so you'll want to be on top of things, right?

Hope to hear from you soon!  
Much love!

Lydia  
aka Goddess Rinoa  
www dot zelda-infinite dot com  
webmaster at zelda-infinite dot com  
lydiasan at gmail dot com


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